


Kiss Me Now (before I can run)

by persephoneggsy



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Multi, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, but hartwin is endgame, but people don't always get with their soulmate, non-spy au, there is a fair amount of cheggsy in this, thus drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-24
Updated: 2015-12-15
Packaged: 2018-03-25 12:39:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 37,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3810748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/persephoneggsy/pseuds/persephoneggsy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It wasn’t unusual, Eggsy told himself. There were plenty of people- just a little under half of the world’s population, really- that weren’t with their soulmates. Some of them just hadn’t met yet; others had died beforehand; and then there were the people in Eggsy’s situation. Sometimes people genuinely didn’t want their soulmates. Either they were in love with someone else, or they just didn’t like what they got stuck with, and Eggsy imagined the latter was very much the case with him and Harry. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what it must have felt like for him, the world’s prime example of a posh bloke, to have his soulmate be some beaten-up kid. He would have rejected him too.</p><p>Or: soulmate AU where you know your soulmate from the moment you touch them, and when you do, their name gets written over your heart like a brand. But that's not always a guarantee.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Eggsy had never been one to worry much about his own safety- the bruises still forming on his face and the blood spilling from his split lip could attest to that- but even so, trekking through the streets of downtown London in the middle of the fucking night should have raised some sort of concern out of the boy. As it was, though, Eggsy was far too angry to even think about the possibility of getting mugged. He had his hands shoved into his pockets, his glower directed at nothing in particular, as he stalked through the mostly abandoned streets.

Honestly, he didn’t even know where he was right now. At some point he’d gone down an unfamiliar road, and now he was surrounded by strange houses and shops, all of which had their lights off, so he couldn’t even read a damn sign to get his bearings. But that didn’t really matter; so long as there was more distance between himself and his stepdad, it was all good to Eggsy.

He licked absently at his lip, wincing at the taste of copper. His drunken fuck of a stepdad had hit him harder than ever- and Eggsy hadn’t even provoked him this time. He’d merely returned home from his mate’s house, and there Dean was, standing over his mother, who cowered on the floor, a half-drained bottle of beer in his hand. He turned and saw Eggsy gaping by the door and immediately strode over, decking the young boy in the face so hard it sent him spiraling to the floor.

And oh, Eggsy _did_ fight back. Once he’d gotten the dizziness out of his system, he’d launched himself at Dean and began throwing punches- he wasn’t an expert brawler or anything, but he could scrape by pretty decently in fight. He was rather proud to say that Dean had a few purple bruises of his own, and he would have gotten more, had Eggsy’s mum not begged him to get out before Dean _really_ got angry.  He almost didn’t listen, but the desperate look on her face, combined with Dean’s redoubled efforts to fucking claw his eyes out, made Eggsy back down. He’d gone out the door, waiting nearby for anymore shouting, and when there was none (signaling that Dean had probably passed out), Eggsy felt a sudden surge of anger hit him, and he began his impromptu trek through the streets.

Because _fuck,_ how could his mum still want to stay with the bastard after all that? True, Dean never hit her hard enough to call for a hospital visit, but that didn’t make things better.

Son of a bitch wasn’t even her soulmate.

Eggsy had seen- all but begged to see, a few times in his youth- his mother’s soulmate mark. _Lee Unwin_ was written over her heart in pale red script. And he could barely remember a man with a kind smile, showing him the name _Michelle Rogers_ on his chest. Eggsy’s parents were soulmates, and they’d been together since the moment Lee had accidentally bumped into Michelle on the subway. Two years of dating and seven of marital bliss, and Eggsy had been born shortly after the honeymoon. And then it all went fucking tits-up when Lee died in a car accident.

As Eggsy grew older, his mum mentioned his dad less and less. She even started to refuse letting Eggsy see her mark, and Eggsy couldn’t press when he saw the tears gathering in the corner of her eyes. So he stopped asking. He comforted himself with the knowledge that her grief showed just how much she loved him. Then she brought fucking _Dean_ home.

Eggsy had never seen Dean’s mark, didn’t even knew if the asshole had one. He doubted it. Otherwise he’d be off ruining _their_ life instead of Eggsy and his mum’s. But Michelle had been desperate for someone, anyone, it seemed, and to Eggsy’s utter disbelief, they got married- three and a half years after his dad died.

As Eggsy turned a corner and got even further lost in the maze that was the city of London, he brushed a hand over his own chest. He knew nothing was written there- it would remain blank until he first touched his soulmate, and then their name would be branded over his heart, and his over theirs. He’d never say it to anyone but his closest mates, but he often wondered about what his soulmate would be like. Boy or girl, tall or short, hell, Eggsy even entertained the notion that they might be some posh fucker. Hey, he was sixteen; he was allowed to dream.

As a street light shone down over him, Eggsy slowed his pace, finally taking a look at his surroundings.

“Shit,” he muttered to no one. He had no fucking clue where he was. The homes on this street were all lined up neatly against each other, with clean, unbroken windows and cute little flower pots sitting by the doors. Eggsy wondered how in the fuck he got so far away from his flat, but those musings were cut short by the sound of footsteps coming his way. He froze, thinking for a moment that it might be Dean, or even one of his thugs that hung around their house like a bloody disease. A shadowy figure was approaching him. He didn’t move from his spot under the street light.

As the figure came into view, illuminated by the dim light, Eggsy’s first thought was, rather inappropriately, _hot damn._ Because the figure was an older man, who looked to be the textbook definition of posh and moneyed. He wore shiny black shoes, a perfectly tailored suit- _bespoke,_ Eggsy’s mind supplied, though he didn’t know where it came from- and the handle of an umbrella rested on his forearm. A pair of glasses rested on his nose, adding further to his “debonair gentleman” effect.

The man slowed his gait, staring at Eggsy with equal surprise. Though, Eggsy mused, he was probably more surprised about the fact that a teen who clearly didn't belong there was standing awkwardly in the street than he was about said teen's level of attractiveness.

Eggsy snapped out of his trance and looked down, hurrying past the man with a muttered, “excuse me.” To his surprise, the man called out after him, causing Eggsy to turn around.

“Are you alright?” he asked, with genuine concern starting to lace itself through his features. this left Eggsy a little dumbstruck. Sure, he must have looked a sight, but that shouldn’t have warranted such concern from a total stranger.

He forced his slack jaw to move. “Uh, yeah. ‘M fine.”

“Are you certain?” The man stepped closer, and Eggsy unconsciously stepped back. His eyes were narrowed, as though he were inspecting Eggsy. It was making the young man rather bothered. “You’re bleeding,” he said at last.

“Oh. Yeah.” Eggsy would have hit himself for sounding so ineloquent. “Don’t worry about it. ‘M used to it, yeah?” He tried grinning at the man, but the grimace he got in return told him that he had blood all over his teeth, so it wasn’t a very charming gesture.

“That’s not a comforting thought,” the man said. “Is your home close by?”

He considered lying. He still wondered why he hadn’t. “No.”

“Then please,” the man stepped aside, next to the iron gate of a house, which Eggsy realized meant that it was his own. “I realize this is rather unusual, but may I at least treat your wounds? I can’t very well let you wander the streets in such a state,” he offered the last statement as an explanation, presumably because Eggsy’s jaw was on the sidewalk, and his eyes were well on their way to popping out of his head.

“I…” Eggsy opened his mouth to protest. The man, however, merely opened the little iron gate, gestured with a wave of his hand and a raised eyebrow, and Eggsy found himself trudging through some stranger’s fucking front yard like an obedient puppy. The man opened the door for him, letting Eggsy into the most ridiculously posh home he’d ever been in. The rug in the hallway alone was probably worth more than all the carpeting in Eggsy’s flat, but he didn't have much time to admire the scenery. The man walked past him, motioning for him to follow, and soon they were in the kitchen.

“Excuse me for a moment,” the man said, smiling gently at Eggsy. He disappeared into the hallway, allowing Eggsy time to reflect on what the fuck had just happened. He was in a stranger’s house. All because he was distracted by how ungodly gorgeous said stranger was. If the man walked back out with a butcher’s knife or some shit, Eggsy would have no one to blame but himself.

He might have jumped a little when the man _did_ come back, but instead of a knife, he had a bottle of rubbing alcohol, a little tub of what looked like ointment, and a washcloth in his hands. He offered them to Eggsy with an expectant look on his face. Blinking, Eggsy quickly swiped the ointment and twisted the lid off.

“Thanks,” he muttered, not wanting to meet the man’s eyes as he applied the cream. Jesus, did it feel good though. He heard the man chuckle.

“My pleasure.”

Eggsy risked peeking at him through his eyelashes, and yes, the man was smiling. He felt his face heat up as he quickly looked away. He willed himself to say anything to fill the silence.

“You do this sort of thin’ often, then?” was what he settled on. “Pluck strangers from the streets and give ‘em medical treatment or summat?”

“Only the ones I deem it necessary for,” replied the man, his tone slightly teasing.

“Oi, I’ve had worse,” Eggsy mumbled.

“As I said before, that does very little to reassure me.” When Eggsy finished addressing his bruises, he took the tub from him and placed it on the counter. He then handed Eggsy the washcloth and rubbing alcohol. As Eggsy dabbed the cloth in the liquid, the man frowned.

“Oh, do excuse me. I’ve forgotten my manners.” He extended a hand. “Harry Hart.”

Eggsy had one hand pressed against his split lip (and he was wincing from the sting of it), so he held out his other hand to reciprocate the gesture.

Their fingers had barely brushed against each other, and Eggsy was in the middle of saying his own name, when an electric bolt ran through them both, causing them to still. Eggsy felt a small burning sensation, not on his injured lip, but over his _heart._

He stared at Harry, who stared back.

Then, after the burning had worn off and there was nothing but agonizing silence, Harry muttered quietly, “Shit.”

That made Eggsy frown, because seriously, who reacts to meeting their soulmate like that? Harry looks utterly confused and shell-shocked. Eggsy probably looked surprised too, but at least he hadn’t uttered any profanity. Yet.

“I…” Eggsy started. The moment he spoke, Harry’s face settled into a stone-like visage that caused Eggsy’s mouth to snap shut.

“Are you finished?” he murmured, and to his credit, he hadn’t said it unkindly. Eggsy looked at the bloodied cloth and nodded wordlessly.

Harry took the cloth, mindful that his fingers didn’t brush against Eggsy’s, and stepped back. Eggsy didn’t make a move, nor did Harry.

“How old are you?” Harry practically whispered.

Eggsy grimaced- he knew where this was going. “Sixteen.”

And Harry honest-to-god _flinched._ “I see.”

Eggsy took a deep breath and resettled his hands in his pockets. “So, uh…” he trailed off, staring at the polished floor of Harry’s kitchen. “We’re soulmates, then?”

“So it would seem.”

“You don’t look that thrilled, mate.”

“I…” Harry rubbed at his forehead. “I apologize. But…”

“But what?”

“I… am not currently interested in having a soulmate. Not now.”

The words slowly sank into Eggsy, like someone burying a knife painfully and deliberately into his skin. “Oh.”

“I’m sorry,” he offered.

“It’s… It’s fine. Probably better. I ain’t all for that soulmate shit, either,” he lied. Why was he lying _now?_ He shifted his weight awkwardly as Harry merely watched him, his face betraying nothing other than sincere contriteness. “I should, um… Go.”

Harry nodded. “Yes. It’s late. You should return home.”

Fuck that, Eggsy said privately. He’d probably go to a mate’s house instead, to avoid seeing Dean again. But Harry didn’t need to know that; he didn’t want Eggsy as a soulmate, why would he care?

“Yeah,” he said, turning towards the door. He gave Harry one last glance. “Thanks again. Y’know, for helpin’ me out.”

Harry only nodded again. Eggsy turned his back on his soulmate and walked out the door, through the iron gate, and back onto the street.

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t unusual, Eggsy told himself. There were plenty of people- just a little under half of the world’s population, really- that weren’t with their soulmates. Some of them just hadn’t met yet; others had died beforehand; and then there were the people in Eggsy’s situation. Sometimes people genuinely didn’t want their soulmates. Either they were in love with someone else, or they just didn’t like what they got stuck with, and Eggsy imagined the latter was very much the case with him and Harry. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what it must have felt like for him, the world’s prime example of a posh bloke, to have his soulmate be some beaten-up kid. He would have rejected him too.

So yeah, he understood why Harry rejected him. He seemed like a loner type, anyway. But that didn’t stop Eggsy from constantly thinking about that night and almost hitting himself for botching it all up. He thought of alternative scenarios, of running into Harry in broad daylight and accidentally brushing against him, like his mum and dad had done. Maybe things would have been different, had he made a good first impression.

Eggsy looked in the mirror every night for a week after meeting Harry, staring at the words tattooed over his chest. _Harry Hart_ in beautiful, looping script, the color a surprisingly bloody red. He realized on the second night after their meeting that he never actually told Harry his name- his preferred name, that is. Harry no doubt had _Gary Unwin_ scrawled across his heart in Eggsy’s messy handwriting. That thought actually saddened Eggsy; he hated the name Gary, always had, and now it was all his soulmate knew him by.

But then he would remind himself that it didn’t matter. Harry would likely barely gaze at his mark, and the name Gary would mean nothing to him… And so would the name Eggsy.

He didn’t tell his mates about his mark. He didn’t want to answer the questions they’d have, because honestly, even though they knew each other for all of five minutes, thinking about Harry was starting to hurt. He did tell him mum, though, and she pulled him into a hug and whispered soft reassurances in his ear, just like he thought she would. She wasn’t even perturbed by the fact that Harry was apparently way older than Eggsy, or that he was moneyed. She only consoled her son on his loss. There, in his mum’s arms, was the only time Eggsy ever allowed himself to cry about his soulmate.

Then, a month after meeting Harry and being rejected, his mum announced that she was pregnant with Dean’s baby, and Eggsy decided that the universe fucking hated him.

Luckily, the baby did end up distracting him from thinking about Harry. He spent nine months preparing himself to hate the little hell spawn, but the moment he stepped into the delivery room (Dean was fuck-knows-where when Michelle went into labor, so Eggsy had to take her to the hospital), and saw his mum there, cradling a tiny little thing wrapped in a pink blanket, Eggsy’s resolve crumbled. He peered over and saw his little sister’s adorable face and he fell in love.

After that, Eggsy had a new resolution; he wasn’t going to let Dean fuck up Daisy’s childhood like he had Eggsy’s. Eggsy was going to provide for their family, and he was going to do it by any means necessary. Part of it was admittedly an attempt to get his thoughts as far away from Harry as possible, but he really did want to help out.Unfortunately, there weren’t many jobs available for an inexperienced now-seventeen-year-old, and after a year of working dead-end jobs and trying to make ends meet, Eggsy finally went down the path that Dean and his cronies always mocked him about.

At eighteen years old, a full two years after meeting his soulmate, Gary “Eggsy” Unwin became a rentboy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eggsy makes a new acquaintance as a rentboy; it ends up leading to far more than he could have imagined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter than usual, but I figured it's been a while since I updated, so...

Eggsy didn’t _like_ the work, per se, but he’d be the first to admit that being a rentboy made decent money. In his first three months alone he was able to buy Daisy a crib, bottles, diapers, and all the cutesy baby clothes she would ever need. His mum never asked where the money came from- she probably knew, but she avoided the topic to spare her son the embarrassment. Dean, on the other hand, wasn’t quite so delicate.

When Eggsy had come home with a flower-print crib tucked under his arm, his stepdad apparently didn’t even consider other options that could have explained it; no, he jumped straight to rentboy.

“How much did they pay you, then?” he’d sneered. “Surprised you can still fuckin’ walk- you was gone all night.”

Eggsy ignored him; he was getting good at that. And eventually Dean and his goons lost interest in harassing him, leaving him free to continue working the streets.

At first, he thought that his soulmate mark would prevent him from getting a lot of customers, but it turned out that the opposite was true. Pretty much all of his clientele had their marks; whether they were actually _with_ their soulmates was another matter entirely, but anyway, most people didn’t care about Harry’s name branded over Eggsy’s heart. It even turned some sick fucks on.

He’d seen more than enough red-lettered names to completely shatter his faith in the soulmate system. He’d seen _Stacy_ and _David_ and _Flora_ and so many more, and he felt sorry for each and every one of them, knowing that their soulmates were with him instead of where they should have been.

The world wasn’t a fucking fairy tale, and damn if Eggsy didn’t know that by now.

So he maintained this mentality for a good year and a half, standing on the darkened streets of London at nineteen years old with a reputation for being a damn good time. He had a fair selection of regular “customers” that always paid handsomely, but some new bloke would pop up every now and again. Such as one particular night, when an unfamiliar- but expensive- car rolled up to him.

He leaned over the window, tilting his hips with practiced casualness. His tongue swiped at his lips in a lazy manner as the window rolled down, revealing, to his surprise, a young man, not much older than he was.

Eggsy’s clients were usually older; businessmen and lawyers and the like who wanted a pretty young thing for one night. It was one aspect of the job that Eggsy absolutely hated, because it always reminded him of one _particular_ older man, and part of why he got into this business in the first place was to forget about him, damn it.

But there he was, locking gazes with a man in the same age bracket as him. He’d admit, the bloke was handsome enough; dark curly hair and pale blue eyes, and his clothes spoke of old money. Eggsy’d get a decent price for the night, at least.

After exchanging greetings and negotiating for a bit, he got in the man’s car, and he learned that his name was Charlie. He drove Eggsy to a small hotel on the upper side of the city, already more fancy than anywhere the rentboy had been taken before.

It was quite refreshing, really. Charlie didn’t kiss like Eggsy’s older clients, nor did he grab at whatever bare flesh happened to present itself. He was rough, yeah, but he didn’t treat Eggsy like a toy. And maybe it helped that he was more than a little good under the sheets.

What? Eggsy was allowed to enjoy himself every _once_ in a while.

He’d seen a flash of red while they were undressing, but he didn’t get a good look at Charlie’s mark before he was turned over on his stomach onto the mattress. When it was done, however, he did get to peek at his recent partner’s sweat-slicked chest.

 _Digby Barker,_ it said, in bright red print. All Eggsy remembered thinking was what sort of fucking name was _Digby,_ but then Charlie turned his back before he could muse on it further, reaching for his wallet and pulling out the pre-determined amount they’d agreed on. He handed it to Eggsy, who mumbled a tired “thanks, bruv,” and it seemed like that was that.

It wasn’t.

 

* * *

 

Charlie became a regular. And unlike Eggsy’s other regulars, they didn’t talk much. Eggsy could tell you the birthdays of four of his clients’ daughters before he could even tell you Charlie’s last name, but he wasn’t bothered by it. It meant that their interactions were smooth and painless. They met up, fucked, and Eggsy got paid; it was a routine he could get comfortable with.

So it was more than surprising when, after a bout of particularly vicious sex, Charlie turned _towards_ him and asked a question not related to fucking.

“Where’s your soulmate?”

Eggsy blinked, sitting up on the bed, letting the sheets pool around his hips. He frowned at Charlie. “What’s it to you?”

A shrug was his answer. “I was only wondering.”

He pursed his lips. “What about _yours?”_ he asked in return. “Does ‘Digby’ know that you’re out here with me?”

Charlie flinched at the name and shot him an exasperated look. “No, Digby doesn’t know. Nor would he _care_. We’re not together.”

“Oh.” Eggsy looked down, suddenly feeling guilty for asking.

“And yours?” Charlie continued. “I sincerely hope that this ‘Harry Hart’ doesn’t approve of your career choice.”

He bristled. “Why not?”

“Because that would be fucked up, that’s why.”

Well, that was certainly true. Eggsy huffed and got out of the bed, reaching for his pants on the floor. “Harry don’t know ‘bout this. He didn’t want me either.”

Charlie hummed at that. “Well, well. Looks like we have something in common.”

“Yeah, but it looks like that’s the only thing,” Eggsy couldn’t help but say, tugging on his baggy jeans just as Charlie reached for his more expensive, posh clothes.

“You’re probably right,” he said, and that ended the conversation. Charlie handed him the money without another word, and they parted ways just as they had done for many nights before that one. Eggsy didn’t think too much about what had been said, but whenever he did, it elevated Charlie to one of his more favored clients. Misery loves company, after all.

 

* * *

 

About a week after their conversation, and once again lying in bed after sex, Eggsy found himself blurting out a question of his own. One that had been festering quietly in the recesses of his mind; so quietly that its sudden outburst surprised even Eggsy.

“So what happened?”

Charlie looked at him, eyebrow raised, and Eggsy blushed. “I mean,” he backtracked, “with you and your soulmate. Why ain’t you together?”

“Why do you care?” he asked suspiciously.

“Just wonderin’.”

Charlie let out a huff that Eggsy distantly recognized as a laugh. “It’s not that interesting a story. Simply put, our parents didn’t approve of the match.”

Eggsy regarded him curiously. “So… what? You just ignored each other, then?”

“Not… not exactly.” Charlie frowned, his brow furrowing as he remembered the incident. “ _I_ tried to appeal to our families. But he… took their side.” He looked away from Eggsy’s penetrating stare. “Told me to fuck off. And, well, that put an end to things.”

“Shit,” Eggsy murmured. “I’m sorry, mate.”

“It wasn’t _your_ fault,” Charlie scoffed. “Digby was a coward, plain and simple. I should have figured he’d side with his parents.”

They sat in silence, neither moving to collect their clothing or even get out of the bed. Then, Eggsy broke the silence.

“Harry’s almost twice my age.”

That earned a stunned look from Charlie.

“I met him when I was sixteen,” he went on, simply because he felt like he needed to explain. “We ran into each other on the streets. I’d just gotten out of a fight... He probably thought he was just doin’ some charity work, but no, the kid he found ended up bein’ his soulmate.” Eggsy smiled grimly.

“What happened?” Charlie asked, sounding closer to Eggsy than he had before. Indeed, when Eggsy looked up, he saw that his client had edged further along on the bed.

“He said he wasn’t interested in the whole ‘soulmate’ business,” Eggsy shrugged. “So I said the same thing, and I haven’t seem him since.” His fingers came up to drift along the mark, the _brand_ that claimed that he and Harry belonged together. “Probably a good thin’, yeah? He don’t have to see me like this; in bed with another bloke who got rejected by his soulmate.”

Charlie was quiet for a long while before he finally responded. “We both have shit luck, I guess.”

Despite himself, a bubble of laughter erupted out of Eggsy. “Yeah, I guess we do. Kindred spirits, eh?”

Charlie chuckled, and they remained sitting on the bed for a few minutes. It was an odd sort of comfortable that Eggsy couldn’t say he’d felt in a long time. He sighed contentedly.

This soon became the norm. After each round, dispersed throughout a three-month period of time, Charlie and Eggsy would lie back and simply talk. About little things, mostly, like a recent event in the news or even the fucking weather. There were times that Eggsy would ramble on about his sister, and Charlie would listen patiently, sometimes even smiling at his clear adoration. Charlie didn’t speak of his own family much, but Eggsy could understand why.

All in all, while Eggsy knew there were probably unspoken rules against this sort of thing in the unwritten ‘Rentboy Handbook’, he wasn’t bothered by the fact that he’d befriended a client.

“I don’t suppose,” Charlie said one night, drawing Eggsy’s attention, “that we could meet up sometime? In the daytime, I mean.”

Eggsy raised an eyebrow and grinned. “What, you wanna fuck in broad daylight?”

“I was thinking more about coffee, really.”

“... Like a... date?” came Eggsy’s incredulous response.

“I… I guess you can call it that.” Charlie rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Look, you can say no if you want.”

“I…” Eggsy was at a loss for words. Honestly, he’d never been on a date. He figured when he was younger that he would do that sort of thing with his soulmate. Then Harry happened, and then he started with the whole ‘rentboy’ thing, and it never came up. Now, he figured that he’d _never_ go on a date, what with Harry’s rejection and all. Still… It wasn’t like people _didn’t_ date non-soulmates.

“Sure,” he found himself saying. Because really, he kind of _liked_ Charlie. Bedroom skills notwithstanding, he was one of the few people that fucking listened to him. Yes, he did show the occasional sign of being an absolute snob, but Eggsy could take that in stride. It was Charlie’s unexpected moments of tenderness that really stuck with him; a hand on his shoulder as he relayed an encounter with his stepfather, a genuine smile when Eggsy cracked a joke just before they got down to business...

Anyway, that’s how Eggsy ended up quitting the rentboy business two months later. After all, he had a rich boyfriend now.

Oh, and apparently, Charlie’s last name was ‘Hesketh’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so... I actually kind of ship Cheggsy. Not as much as Hartwin, yeah, but I think it's cute. It's my brotp.
> 
> Also, Charlie's not as much of an asshole here as he was in the movie. I mean, he'll still kinda be an asshole, but I'm hoping the story justifies it a bit.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected question, and an even more unexpected reunion.

If you asked Eggsy where he thought he’d be a year from his nineteenth birthday, the answer probably would have been something along the lines of continuing as he always had, working the streets to support his family (that, or a sarcastic exclamation that he’d probably be the King of England or some shit). But if you told Eggsy that he would be sprawled on the plush-upholstered couch that rested in the apartment he shared with his boyfriend, he would have likely just told you to fuck off, a statement accompanied by a two-fingered salute.

But now, Eggsy was getting used to the curveballs life was constantly pelting him with. He’d be lying if he said he’d _hoped_ for such an outcome, but as it turned out, they had quite a bit in common when they were both able to talk without being winded from sex. Both had families with military history, both were dog people, and both shared a love for Hollywood’s Golden Age films, to name just a few things. And they were both in desperate need of genuine companionship- not the paid companionship that Eggsy was used to providing.

Their biggest point of similarity often had Eggsy thinking in the early half of their relationship; did they genuinely care for each other, or was this just some sort of mutual diversion from the fact that they’d both been turned down by their soulmates? As the months went on, though, and there were no signs that either of their soulmates would return, Eggsy decided to stop worrying and just enjoy things as they went along.

Now twenty years old, fast approaching twenty-one, Eggsy spent a lot of time at Charlie’s apartment, which they basically shared anyway, despite Eggsy not having formally moved in. It had just happened over the course of the year, likely hurried along by Eggsy’s stepdad, who harassed Eggsy and Charlie at every opportunity he could get since he discovered they were dating. Eggsy’s mum, on the other hand, was rather happy for her son. Yes, he wasn’t with his soulmate, but she and Charlie got along decently. That, and he’d gotten her son out of that horrible job.

You see, two months after their coffee date, it became rather obvious that Eggsy’s “profession” was going to be a problem. Charlie was no longer a customer; he was Eggsy’s goddamn boyfriend. So he’d managed to pull a few strings and got Eggsy a job at the tailor shop (Kingsman, it was called) where Charlie’s family often went to get their suits; the owner, a constantly-grinning man named James, welcomed Eggsy to the job with open arms- literally. James’s soulmate, the stoic-faced Percival, was equally kind, though in a less... physical manner than James. They both showed Eggsy the ropes of working in a tailor’s shop, and to Eggsy’s surprise, he enjoyed the work. Anything beat being a rentboy, at least.

Not everything was all well and good, however. Charlie’s parents, who had disapproved of Charlie’s soulmate purely because he wasn’t from the right posh-as-fuck family, obviously despised Eggsy due to his background. Luckily for Eggsy, Charlie was far past the point of giving a damn about what his family thought of him. They’d even threatened to cut Charlie off from the family’s money, but the young man had job at his uncle’s law firm, so the threat fell on deaf ears; it also helped that Charlie’s uncle, Kay, a cheerful man, didn’t mind his and Eggsy’s relationship in the slightest. Still, despite all that, Eggsy always felt a little guilty for adding to the tension between Charlie and his parents. Thank god they weren’t told about the whole ‘rentboy’ thing. He didn’t want to be responsible for a _heart attack_ on top of everything else.

He often wondered if this, the time he was in right now, was as close to domestic bliss as he would ever get. In the past, the media would often demonize those who chose to stay with their non-soulmate partners. Things were generally more liberal now, but the odd hate group or Pro-soulmate union would pop up in the news every now and again.

Regardless, Charlie and Eggsy didn’t tell anyone who didn’t already know that they weren’t each others’ soulmate. Nor would they tell them how they met- they’d concocted a relatively simple lie, claiming that Eggsy was wandering the streets, lost, and Charlie just so happened to be driving by the area and lent him a helping hand. The rest, as they would say, is history. Honestly, it was a bit too close to his initial meeting with Harry for Eggsy to be completely comfortable with telling the story, so Charlie was often the one reciting it.

Eggsy rolled over on the couch to reach for the TV remote, not caring in the slightest about the way his dress shirt rumpled- Percival would be appalled, even though the shirt wasn’t Kingsman-quality; just a little something Eggsy bought to better align himself with the shop’s image. He only made so much, and he could barely afford a singular _cufflink,_ let alone an entire suit.

The door to the apartment opened, but Eggsy didn’t lift his head. He recognized the shuffling of feet as shoes were taken off in the hallway, and rumple of a jacket being removed, and the softly padded footsteps quickly approaching him.

“You’re home early,” he said, eyes focused on the television. “Special occasion?”

“Hopefully,” was Charlie’s answer. Eggsy felt the couch dip when his boyfriend sat next to him. “Good god, what have you done to your shirt?”

“Oi, don’t start,” he snapped. “Had a long fuckin’ day today. Customer wouldn’t stop fidgetin’ durin’ his fittin’. Then he goes and blames _me_ for stabbin’ him with the needle.”

Charlie lifted an eyebrow. “Are you sure the stabbings weren't intentional?”

“... Not _all_ of 'em.” Eggsy moved to sit up- his legs were still resting on the couch, and Charlie was sitting next to his thighs. “Anyway, what’s up? You said somethin’ about ‘hopefully’ when I mentioned a special occasion?”

“Right. Yes. Well…” Charlie folded his hands in his lap and stared down at them. “I need an honest answer. Okay?”

Eggsy frowned. “Depends on what the question is, bruv.”

“Do you… Do you think, that at some point, your soulmate will come back to you?”

It definitely wasn’t what Eggsy was expecting. He blinked a few times, letting the question hang in the air. “I… What?”

“Just… answer. Do you think you’re ever going to end up with Harry Hart?”

Eggsy flinched a bit; he hadn’t heard Harry’s name in months, but it still stung, like a phantom pain.

“Charlie, what’s brought this up?”

“I just need to know.”

“Why, though? You breakin’ up with me or somethin’?” He grinned weakly, meaning to play it off as a joke. “Cause, well, the answer’s no. Harry made himself perfectly clear… It ain’t happenin’ between us.” That didn’t mean it didn’t hurt like hell, but Charlie didn’t need to know that.

Charlie nodded, exhaling a deep breath. “Alright. And no, _Eggy_ , I’m not breaking up with you.” He reached into his trousers pocket. “Quite the opposite, actually.”

He pulled his hand out; in it was a small velvet box. Eggsy’s breath hitched at the sight of it. His eyes stayed focused on the box as Charlie brought it up and presented it to him. He peeled back the top, revealing a small white-gold ring. Tiny diamonds decorated the band, glittering like little stars under the apartment lights.

Eggsy tore his now-bulging eyes away from the ring to stare at Charlie, who, to his credit, looked very apprehensive.

“Eggsy.” Charlie’s usually smug and self-confident voice wavered just slightly. “I know I’m not your soulmate, but… Will you marry me, regardless?”

Time slowed down- perhaps it was cliche to say that, but that was honestly what it felt like. A million thoughts raced through Eggsy’s head. Was this really happening? Charlie was fucking _proposing?_ Non-soulmate marriages weren’t rare, but they also weren’t something Eggsy thought about. Ever since Harry, he didn’t think marriage would ever be an option for him. Even when he and Charlie started dating, marriage was the last place he saw their relationship going. Not because he didn’t care for Charlie, he did, but because he honestly never thought they would get that far.

He must have been silent for too long, however, as the hand holding up the ring box lowered itself, and Charlie’s frown deepened.

“Eggsy…?”

Eggsy jolted, looking very deer-in-headlights-esque as he stared at his boyfriend, who was still awaiting an answer. “I…” He licked his lips. What would his answer be? Charlie wasn’t his soulmate, but he hadn’t even _seen_ Harry in close to four years. And the older man had left no room for argument.

He met Charlie’s eyes, where he saw the tiniest glimpse of nervousness hiding, and he smiled gently.

“Yeah.”

Charlie blinked. “Yeah…?”

“Yes, I’ll fuckin’ marry you, you bloody tosser.”

Seconds passed before Charlie’s lips spread into a wide smile. He leaned forwards, and so did Eggsy, because, well, kissing seemed like the appropriate thing to do after accepting a marriage proposal. When they broke apart, Charlie took the ring from its box and slid it onto Eggsy’s finger. Despite his apprehension, Eggsy smiled at the trinket.

“Ain’t I supposed to get you a ring?” he asked.

“Please,” said Charlie, who still held onto his fiance’s- fiance, ain’t that fucking funny?- hand. “Knowing you, you’ll pick the gaudiest and most embarrassing ring in the store.”

Eggsy affected a look of mock-offense. “Ain’t that the _point?”_

Charlie rolled his eyes just as Eggsy laughed and pulled him in for another kiss. His hand felt heavier with the ring on, but it wasn’t as uncomfortable as Eggsy thought it would be.

He could probably get used to it.

 

* * *

 

A week after Charlie proposed, he and Eggsy found themselves completely _drowning_ in wedding plans.

It was weird, considering how they’d discussed what the wedding would be like shortly after the proposal. A small, intimate affair, with only close friends and family invited. Of course, they’d assumed that was all they could afford, since even though Charlie’s job was lucrative, it was nowhere near enough to cover an entire fucking wedding like the ones you saw on TV. His parents certainly weren’t going to loan any money, as they’d taken to ignoring their son after it was clear he wasn’t going to break up with Eggsy, and Eggsy didn’t want to ask his own mum to contribute anything- not that Dean would even let her. So they were content with whatever, as long as they got married.

Charlie’s uncle was an unexpected development.

When Charlie mentioned the engagement to him, he immediately offered to help pay for the entire affair; caterers, suits, flowers- _everything._ So now Charlie and Eggsy were practically being forced to have a lavish wedding, and that meant having to plan out every single detail. They hadn’t even picked a date yet, and Eggsy was already exhausted. If he saw one more fucking color swatch-

He sighed audibly, drawing the attention of Percival, who was folding up shirts beside him. Maybe coming into work so bone-tired wasn’t Eggsy’s best idea, but he was willing to take any excuse to get away from all the papers and magazines his mum had practically thrown at him when he broke the news.

“Everything alright?” asked the older man with a touch of concern.

“I… Yeah,” Eggsy groaned, rubbing at his eyes. “Just… this whole fuckin’ wedding deal. It’s _mental.”_

Percival chuckled, placing the last of the shirts neatly in the arranged piles. “Yes, I remember it being the same for James and I. Two weeks in, we caved and hired a planner to do it for us.”

“Planner, eh?” hummed Eggsy. “Don’t sound like a bad idea, actually.”

“You know, my niece works for that same planner now.”

“Er, Roxy, yeah?” Eggsy had never actually met her, but he’d seen plenty of pictures and heard stories. The man was stoic about everything _but_ his soulmate, James, and his own niece, who was more like a daughter to him if Eggsy had to guess.

He nodded. “Mmhm. I could give you her number, if you’d like? Perhaps you and Charlie could set up an appointment.”

Eggsy grinned. “You’re the fuckin’ guvnor, Percy.”

Two hours later, Eggsy was home, with Miss Roxanne Morton’s work number in his pocket. He’d told Charlie, and the other young man seemed amenable to the idea of a wedding planner, so they agreed to call her. She had a very friendly, yet formal, tone, though she softened considerably when Eggsy said that Percival was the one who recommended her. They settled on an appointment the following weekend, and when they hung up, Eggsy could already feel the weight lifting from his shoulders.

“It’ll get easier now, right?” he asked tiredly. Charlie laughed and pressed a kiss to his hair.

“Definitely.”

 

* * *

 

When the weekend came around, Charlie and Eggsy drove downtown to the wedding planner’s main office. _Hart and Soul Events,_ they were called, and Eggsy felt the familiar twinge of pain at the name _Hart,_ but he was used to tamping it down. After all, he was getting married; no time to muse on the past. Especially since Hart wasn’t an uncommon last name.

Roxy- who was far prettier than Percival’s photos would suggest- met them in the lobby. They chatted for a bit before moving into her office.

“So,” she said, smiling gracefully from behind an antique wooden desk. “Mr. Hesketh and Mr. Unwin. Have you settled on a surname?” Roxy looked between the two of them.

“We were thinking of combining them, actually,” answered Charlie. “Unwin-Hesketh.”

She nodded. “That sounds lovely. And how did the two of you meet?”

They glanced at each other.

Eggsy was the one who replied. “He sort of… picked me up. I was on the streets, and he happened to be drivin’ by.”

Roxy’s smile widened. “And the rest is history?”

“Yup,” Eggsy grinned. “You could say that.”

“Well, I’d be happy to help the two of you plan your special day,” she said, with no amount of sugary-sweetness interlaced with her words. She seemed genuinely interested in helping them, and that was refreshing enough. “Do you have a date set?”

“No,” said Charlie. “But we’d like it to be before the end of the year, if that’s possible.”

“Oh, of course. I’ll just need additional information from the both of you, and then we can get started.”

She handed them both slips of paper, which asked for basic contact information, and had a few simple questions listed near the bottom. They mainly concerned things like favorite color, food, and flower, likely providing the groundwork for a wedding ceremony, but one particular question stood out like a glaring sore.

“ _Describe your first experience as soulmates?”_ Eggsy read aloud, feeling the dread pool in his gut. A glance at Charlie confirmed that he was equally unnerved.

Roxy raised an eyebrow. “Oh, that? Don’t worry about it. Those questions are optional. They merely give me some sort of estimation as to what sort of couple you are. But if your first experience as soulmates is too personal, feel free to skip it.”

“Well…” Eggsy shifted. “We’re not exactly…”

“We aren’t soulmates,” Charlie said flatly, though something in the way he looked at Roxy was almost _challenging,_ like he was daring her to turn them away. There _were_ some people that just didn’t understand why non-soulmate couples existed, and it was almost like some weird sort of racism; Eggsy just figured that people didn’t need much of an excuse to be dicks.

Roxy’s eyes widened. “I... Oh. I see.”

Eggsy bit his lip. “That gonna be a problem?”

“No, no, not at all,” she said quickly. “It’s just… Well, I’ve never planned a wedding for non-soulmates.” Her tone wasn’t sardonic, only apologetic. “But I imagine it’s much the same. We can still make this work.”

“Good,” Charlie nodded, and immediately went back to filling out the form. Eggsy followed suit, but only after sending Roxy a grateful smile. She returned it with one of her own.

After they’d completed the forms, Roxy walked with them back out into the lobby. Eggsy slipped his hand into Charlie’s, his ring scraping against his fiance’s palm.

Roxy was in the middle of promising to get in touch soon, when a man’s voice called out from behind them.

“Roxanne,” it said, causing the three of them to turn around. “Have you seen the budget papers for the Higgins wedding? I seem to have misplaced-”

Eggsy’s jaw dropped, and were it not for the cold of his ring biting into his finger, he would have thought he was dreaming. Aware that he wasn’t, he could only shout.

“Holy _fuck_!”

Roxy and Charlie sent him curious looks, while the man himself looked mildly annoyed at being interrupted. At least until he got a good look at Eggsy. Then, his jaw dropped too.

“Oh, shit,” he whispered, as though he couldn’t quite believe it. Eggsy couldn’t either.

“Sir?” asked Roxy, stepping forwards.

“Eggsy?” asked Charlie softly.

But both men were too busy gawking at each other. Because the man before Eggsy was none other than Harry-goddamn-Hart.

_Hart and Soul Events._

Eggsy’s soulmate was a motherfucking wedding planner, and _he_ was getting married.

The universe really did fucking hate him, didn’t it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cue dramatic music*
> 
> Also I have this weird headcanon that Charlie is a film nerd and he adores musicals. He and Eggsy can fangirl over My Fair Lady or whatever.
> 
> idk man


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie and Eggsy have to deal with the aftermath of Eggsy's little 'reunion', but the universe isn't going to let them off so easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, WOW. I was NOT expecting such a strong response to the last chapter!
> 
> I mean, on one hand, it's cool, 'cause I wanted you guys to sympathize with Charlie.
> 
> Buuuut on the other, I didn't want people to totally turn against Harry! D: I promise you lot that he had his reasons for turning Eggsy away; it'll just take a while before he reveals those reasons.
> 
> Anyway, I'd like to thank you all regardless for your comments. A lot of them made me smile, and a couple actually made me laugh.

* * *

 

To say that it was awkward would have been the greatest understatement of the twenty-first-fucking-century.

It was downright _unbearable._

Eggsy was frozen in place, his jaw hanging helplessly open as his eyes threatened to pop out of his skull. Just opposite him stood Harry goddamn Hart, his _soulmate,_ who wore a less exaggerated expression of shock, but it was shock nonetheless. To their sides, Charlie and Roxy were giving them confused glances; the former’s hand was still entwined with Eggsy’s, but he could barely feel anything at the moment.

He finally managed to speak- his voice was barely above a whisper. “Harry…?”

Suddenly, Charlie’s expression changed. He went from confusion to surprise, and his gaze whipped from Eggsy to Harry.

Harry, in an almost offensively easy manner, regained his composure, looking perfectly calm and collected. Were Eggsy still not so utterly caught off-guard, he would have been pissed.

“Hello, Gary,” was all Harry said, like he was greeting some _acquaintance_ he happened to run into, and not the man whose name was burnished over his heart in messy handwriting.

Eggsy inhaled sharply at hearing his given name, just as Roxy’s eyebrows lifted to her hairline in surprise.

“Sir?” she said tentatively. “Do you know each other…?”

Harry turned to look at her in the same instant Charlie tugged Eggsy closer, whispering in his ear with an almost desperate urgency. “That’s Harry Hart?” he asked. Eggsy could only nod numbly. “ _Your_ Harry Hart?”

“Yeah…” he mumbled.

Despite his hushed tone, Roxy still heard them, being only a foot away, and frowned, clearly unhappy that she was being kept out of the loop.

“I’m sorry; just what is going on here?” demanded the woman.

Harry was the one to answer. “Well, Roxanne… You know how you’re always asking me about my soulmate?”

She nodded, her brow furrowing, because she clearly didn’t see where he was going with this. Harry gestured towards Eggsy with one hand. Then, Roxy’s mouth dropped open.

“Oh,” she muttered. “Oh- Oh my _god.”_

At least Harry grimaced at her reaction; Eggsy was still paralyzed with shock. He was only barely aware of Charlie’s hand squeezing his own, causing his engagement ring to press uncomfortably against his skin.

But then, the older gentleman looked away from Roxy, and his eyes caught sight of their hands- and the ring. Something almost imperceptible flickered in his gaze (shock maybe, or perhaps _horror,_ if Eggsy was allowed to hope) before he lifted his stare to meet Eggsy’s. A small frown appeared on his face.

“Clients, then?” he asked, almost distantly.

Eggsy winced and tried to position himself so that the ring was hidden, though he couldn’t bring himself to rip his hand out of Charlie’s; that would have been cruel. But instead, Charlie stepped forwards, his glare more than a little challenging as he faced down Harry Hart.

“ _Yes,”_ he said. To Eggsy’s surprise, Harry met the glare with an equal one of his own.

“I see,” the man bit out. He turned to Roxy. “Roxanne. I trust you have the situation under control?”

The woman jumped, but then her gaze settled on Harry with what seemed like… pity? “I-... Yes, sir. Of course.”

Harry nodded. He faced Eggsy and Charlie again, this time wearing a tight smile. “Congratulations.”

And with that, he abruptly turned on his heel, and marched off further into the building. Eggsy watched him go, a heavy weight settling into his stomach.

He knew Roxy was staring at him, he knew she had questions, but Eggsy wasn’t in the mood. He swallowed the lump in his throat and gave Charlie’s hand a sharp tug.

“Can we go?” he begged.

Charlie sighed. He still looked pissed off, but a small amount of sympathy was alight in his features, and the soft brush of his thumb against Eggsy’s hand was the most comforting gesture the former rentboy had ever known.

“Yeah.” He turned to Roxy, his face neutral. “Call us when you’re ready,” he said simply, and walked out of the building with Eggsy in tow, not even awaiting a response from the wedding planner. Once they were out of that place and in Charlie’s car, Eggsy let out a shuddering sigh and collapsed against the expensive leather upholstery.

“Are you okay?” asked Charlie.

Eggsy closed his eyes tight, as though he could feel the impending headache. “I don’t know… That was… shit, I don’t know what the _fuck_ that was.”

“That was your soulmate,” he pointed out, frowning once more. “And he just so happens to own a wedding planning business.”

He slumped further. “Jesus fuckin’ Christ.”

Things were silent, as Charlie hadn’t even started the car yet. The outside world was muffled at best.

“We don’t have to,” he said, after a while, prompting Eggsy to open his eyes and look at him. “Go with this planner, I mean. We could always find someone else.”

“I…” Eggsy paused. That _would_ be the most reasonable course of action. But still. “Percy would probably be mad, if we left his niece hangin’ like that.”

“I’m sure he’d understand.”

“Look,” groaned Eggsy. “I just wanna get married, alright? To _you,”_ he added, seeing Charlie’s expression change to something unsure, hesitant. “Let’s just… rush this thing along and get hitched before the year’s up. Roxy’s the planner, we probably won’t even see Har-” he stumbled over the name, and he cursed himself for it. “ _Harry_ again. I mean, fuck, did you see the way he was glarin’ at me? He’s gonna avoid me, that’s for fuckin’ sure.”

Charlie stared at him, searching his face for any telltale sign of a lie. Eggsy stared back resolutely; soulmate or not, he’d made a commitment, and god knows he was going through with it. Seeing Harry again had caused a flurry of emotions to rise up in Eggsy, but that fact alone remained clear even in the aftermath of their meeting. Charlie had been rejected once- Eggsy wasn’t going to break his heart a second time.

Besides, it wasn’t like leaving him for Harry would have been a fruitful endeavor anyway.

“Okay,” Charlie replied quietly, starting up the car. “Quick and uncomplicated. We can do that.”

Eggsy smiled, and Charlie raised his hand to cup the other man’s cheek.

“I love you,” he said.

“I love you too,” replied Eggsy, but even to his own ears, it sounded strained.

 

* * *

 

Three days passed after their eventful first meeting at _Hart and Soul Events,_ and Roxy had yet to call them. Eggsy and Charlie decided to carry on as usual, working at their daily pace. Eggsy didn’t mention to Percival _all_ the details of their meeting; he only told the man that his niece was absolutely charming, and that was enough to please him. James had waltzed in a few minutes later, and announced with his usual bravado that Kingsman was going to make Charlie and Eggsy’s suits, completely free of charge; Eggsy tried to at least insist that they pay, but James would hear none of it. It was their wedding present to the happy couple, he reasoned. Charlie found it amusing and didn’t protest when Eggsy told him.

Well, at least that was one aspect of the wedding they didn’t have to worry about anymore. Kingsman had done wedding suits before; Eggsy even assisted with the fitting for one. If James and Percival were behind it, they would turn out just fine.

Since then, Eggsy pushed the matter of the wedding as far from his mind as possible, deciding instead to focus on work. He was the only one in the front of the shop that day, arranging the shelves, as James and Percival were busy with other things.

He heard the chime of the bell that signaled a customer’s entry. He turned to greet them, a pre-rehearsed phrase ready on his tongue, but the words died as soon as he laid eyes on the new customers.

It was Roxy and _Harry._ Both were dressed to the fucking nines, looking every inch like Kingsman’s usual clientele. Harry was in the middle of saying something to the young lady when he turned his head and saw Eggsy. For the second time that week, Eggsy saw Harry’s shocked expression. Roxy soon followed, gaping at the young man.

“Mr. Unwin!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

Eggsy’s mouth opened and closed uselessly for a few moments before he finally came back to himself. “I-I… I work here,” he stuttered lamely.

“Work?” Roxy’s eyebrow knit together in confusion. “But- my uncle never mentioned…”

At that very moment, Percival appeared, in the process of readjusting his jacket when he saw his niece and her employer standing in the shop. A wide grin overtook his normally stoic face as he quickened his pace. Even Roxy's look of shock faded in the face of her adoring uncle, and she readily accepted his embrace.

"Roxy," he said cheerfully. "What brings you to the shop today?"

"We were hoping to check on the progress of Mr. Higgins' suit," said Harry. "He couldn't make here to do it himself.”

"Ah, actually, James is working on that as we speak. It's about seventy percent done, I'd say." Percival turned back and saw Eggsy standing awkwardly by the shelves. He gestured for the boy to come closer, to his dismay. Still, he followed his boss's orders and fell into place beside him, though he studiously avoided looking at Harry.

"So," Percival smiled, "you're going to plan this lucky young man's wedding?"

Roxy's grin was tense. "Yes... But, uncle Percy, I don't remember you mentioning a Gary Unwin who works at the shop."

"Oh, he hates being called Gary. He prefers Eggsy." Percival rolled his eyes, and even in his state of shock, Eggsy found the energy to elbow him. Roxy, for her part, now showed recognition of the name. "I haven't the faintest idea where it comes from, but apparently, not even his own mother calls him Gary."

Eggsy opened his mouth to reply, but astonishingly, it was Harry who spoke next, and his gaze was unwillingly drawn to him.

"Why?" The look in his eyes was one of genuine confusion. Of course, Harry had only known Eggsy by the name 'Gary' for about four years.

Eggsy blushed. "I don't like Gary. Never have. Eggsy's a nickname m' dad gave me, and it just stuck, okay?"

Percival chuckled, patting Eggsy on the back. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to tease. Just, it seems strange, never using your given name."

"Charlie does, sometimes," he muttered, and he immediately wished he hadn't. He glanced up at Harry and saw the man go rigid. Curious, thought Eggsy. "But only if he’s mad," he added, almost as an afterthought.

An awkward silence settled over them; well, awkward to everyone but Percival, who was blissfully unaware of the soap opera-levels of drama going on between Harry and Eggsy. The latter man coughed into his fist.

"I'll, um, go and help James, yeah?" He began backtracking to the sewing room without even waiting for Percival to give his permission. Once he was safely behind a wall, he leaned his back against it and sighed. What were the fucking chances? He was sure he'd never see Harry again, but now he'd seen him twice in less than a week!

Unfortunately, he was not far enough from the front of the shop that he was unable to hear their continued conversation. And because Eggsy was probably a terrible person, he stayed behind to listen in.

"So..." Came Roxy's voice. "Has, uh, 'Eggsy' asked you to make the suits for his and Mr. Hesketh's wedding?"

"Oh, James offered. For free, too. It's going to be our wedding present to them."

"That's very kind," Harry said. If Eggsy didn't know any better, it sounded very forced.

"Well, Eggsy's worked for Kingsman going on a full year now, and he's done very well for someone with no prior experience."

"What?" Roxy inquired. "How did you come to hire him with no experience, uncle?"

Percival laughed. "That's partly due to Charlie. He pulled a few strings to get Eggsy the job, you see; the Heskeths have been loyal patrons for generations."

"Ah..." It was clear from Roxy's tone that she was uncomfortable now. "That was nice of him..."

"You are aware," cut in Harry, voice now chillingly cold, "that they aren't soulmates, yes?"

There was a pause, and Eggsy frowned. What fucking right did Harry have to talk about them like that?

"I'm aware," Percival answered slowly. "But... they were both rejected by their soulmates, and I'm not about to protest them finding happiness wherever they can."

“I… see.” Roxy sounded suspicious, and Eggsy imagined she was staring at her employer. Surely he would have told her _something_ about what happened between them, after that little incident at their office.

He was jolted away from the conversation as James came out of the back room, the older man blinking at the sight of Eggsy pressed against the wall.

“Eggsy?” he frowned. “What are you-?”

“Mr. Hart and Ms. Morton here to see you,” Eggsy rushed out. “Mr. Higgins’ suit. Progress. Checkin’.”

If James found the stunted sentences odd, he didn’t comment on it. He only glanced around the wall and saw the three well-dressed adults conversing in the shop, and nodded his head.

“Right. I should go and greet them, then.”

“Yeah, you should.” Eggsy stepped away from the wall. “I’m gonna go do inventory.”

“Are you sure?” asked James. “You could get some planning done with Roxy while Percy and I talk to Mr. Hart.”

“I-”

Eggsy didn’t get to finish his answer, as James secured a hand around his wrist and pulled him back to the front of the shop, drawing the attention of the three already there. The older man greeted Harry, who responded quietly, his eyes trained on Eggsy. They were talking about the progress of the suit, or something to that effect; Eggsy was hardly listening anymore.

He’d managed to get his wrist out of James’ calloused grip just in time to look up and see Roxy’s calculating gaze. When their eyes met, she abruptly gave a professional smile. She nodded her head to the side, indicating that she wanted to speak with him away from the three older men, and Eggsy gratefully obliged her. They stepped off to the side-Harry giving them a sideways glance- and she began talking.

“While I’m here, maybe we can start talking about the wedding?”

He’d expected her to say something like that, but it still seemed strange to start planning with Charlie around. Still, Eggsy didn’t want to spend another moment in that stifling atmosphere. “Er… Yeah, I guess.” He shifted his weight from one foot the other. “I take my lunch break soon, if you wanna…?”

“That would be just perfect,” she smiled, and if she felt any awkwardness in helping her boss’s soulmate get married to another man, it sure as hell didn’t show on her face.

So Eggsy made a quick intervention in the men’s conversation, telling them that he was going on his break, and James waved him off with a smile. Roxy gave her uncle another hug, and received a polite nod from Harry. The duo then left through the front door of the shop, the bell giving off a particularly loud chime as they went.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's some planning and some more of the universe being a dick to Eggsy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol I forgot that Charlie had a dog, too.
> 
> I named him Winston. :>

* * *

Once Eggsy had gotten over the fact that Roxy worked for Harry, he found that she was actually rather pleasant to be around.

Of course, that didn’t mean he’d forgotten about that tiny little detail- it hung around in the back of his mind like a lingering odor, but he did do his best to ignore it. It made things easier, and thankfully Roxy made little to no mention of her employer as they chatted over lunch, as she well knew how uncomfortable Eggsy was about the subject. She mainly just asked about the wedding: if they had any specific venues in mind, or if there was a theme or color they wanted to go with. Eggsy didn’t have an answer for any of those questions, but he promised her that he’d talk about them with Charlie.

It wasn’t until about an hour into their talk that Eggsy finally noticed the golden ring adorning Roxy’s finger. He swallowed the foreboding feeling rising in his throat- because the first thing he thought was _fuck, what if she and Harry are_ \- and tried redirecting his gaze. He wasn’t even sure _why_ he’d thought of it, though it probably wouldn't have seemed so outlandish; Roxy was poised and graceful, and everything Eggsy wasn’t; she suited a man like Harry. In fact, it seemed the only they had in common was, well, their age, and that annoyed him a bit.

Eggsy frowned and internally berated himself. He promised that he wouldn’t think about Harry, and here he was getting all worked up over his potential partner.

Roxy had noticed his sudden change in demeanor, and glanced down at her ring. She smiled gently. “His name is Merlin.”

Eggsy blinked, meeting her kind, understanding eyes. “Sorry?”

“My husband. And soulmate. His name is Merlin.” She folded her ring hand over her chest, where _Merlin last-name-to-be-determined_ was presumably written. “He let me keep my surname for work, bless him.”

“Oh. That’s… nice.” Eggsy said shakily, because even worse than the irrational jealousy he felt when he thought that Roxy was Harry’s partner was the feeling of _relief_ when it was revealed that she wasn’t. He cursed his head for conflicting with his wishes, and blamed his feelings on the soulmate mark currently trying to burn itself further into his skin, and it tended to do whenever he thought of Harry.

“I met him through Mr. Hart, actually,” Roxy mused, resting her chin on her hand. Eggsy must have been good at hiding his inner turmoil, since she didn’t regard him any differently. “They’re old friends. Imagine their surprise when I ended up being his soulmate,” she laughed.

“And… you married him, yeah?”

“Yes.” Her eyes glazed over in fondness as she lowered her hand to look at the ring. “I was actually the one who proposed, though. You should have seen the look on his face before he smiled at me and said yes.”

Eggsy shifted in his chair, folding his hand in his lap. “You seem happy,” he commented, but it wasn’t without bitterness. Roxy caught it and frowned.

“I am happy. We’re soulmates, after all,” she said calmly, not even blinking when Eggsy very visibly _flinched._ “But that doesn’t mean I’m one of those purists who damn those that aren’t with their mates. I’m sure there’s a very good reason you and Mr. Hart aren’t together, but I’m not going to pry. You and Charlie seem happy, and that’s enough for me to be your wedding planner.” She leaned forwards, her eyes sharp. “Are we clear on that?”

Eggsy stared at her, and despite himself, he felt a small amount of admiration (and possibly intimidation) towards the young lady. “I… Sorry, yeah. Thanks.”

“Good.” Roxy leaned back and finished off her tea. “Now, I think we should probably head back. Your break is ending and Mr. Hart and I have to go back to the office.”

“Right.”

They paid for the lunch and went back to the shop. James, Percival, and Harry were still talking when they arrived, but it seemed that the conversation had moved on from the wedding suit to more casual topics. It then struck Eggsy how James and Percival must have known Harry for a while (after all, he was Roxy’s employer) and he marveled on the many coincidences his life had in it so far. Not once in the year he’d worked for Kingsman had they ever mentioned a Mr. Hart. He felt a little put-out by that.

Harry and Roxy bid their goodbyes,and James promised to call as soon as Mr. Higgins’ suit was ready. Roxy was out the door first, after hugging her uncle and his soulmate, and Harry was not too far behind her, but…

Eggsy and Harry both looked at each other in the same instant, their eyes meeting. Eggsy felt himself tense under the older man’s stare, but to his surprise, Harry offered him a kind smile and a nod. And then he was gone once more.

 

* * *

 

Charlie’s German Shepherd, Winston, was curled up by the couch by the time Eggsy got home. The dog picked his head up when he heard the door, but upon seeing that it was merely Eggsy, he quickly dropped it back down. Winston was indifferent to Eggsy, always had been, but at least he’d never been hostile. Eggsy bent down and gave the dog a half-hearted scratch behind the ears before plopping down onto the couch with a groan.

As if cued, Charlie emerged from the bedroom, raising an eyebrow at the sight of his fiance sprawled over the couch.

“Hey,” he said, moving towards him. “Rough day?”

Eggsy made an unintelligible noise into the cushions. He heard Charlie laugh and felt him sit beside him on the couch, so he moved his head to look at him.

All of a sudden, Charlie frowned. “You look miserable.”

Eggsy grimaced. “Guess who dropped by the shop today?”

Charlie shrugged.

“The fuckin’ _weddin’ planners_.”

“What?” his jaw dropped. “As in, _Harry_ …?”

“And Roxy. Apparently Kingsman was makin’ the suit for some other bloke’s weddin’. They dropped by to check on it.”

“Are you okay?” Charlie’s tone was concerned.

“‘m fine. Really.” Groggily, Eggsy sat up, only to lean his head against Charlie's shoulder. He sighed. “It was just shockin’, is all.”

It was quiet for a while. “We really don’t have to go with them, you know. There _are_ other wedding planners.”

Eggsy smiled, thinking back on he and Roxy’s conversation earlier that day. “Nah. Roxy’s great, really. She said she didn’t give a damn about us not bein’ soulmates, as long as we’re happy.”

“That was…” Charlie hesitated, his brow furrowing, like he couldn’t quite trust the word of the woman who worked for his fiance’s soulmate. “... Quite nice of her.”

“Wasn’t it? Anyway, I doubt I’m gonna run into Harry again.” He smiled tiredly up at his fiance. “The universe can be _that_ fuckin’ stupid.”

Charlie didn’t appear convinced. But still, he eventually sighed and pressed a kiss to the top of Eggsy’s head, and it seemed that was the end of that conversation. They moved onto other topics, particularly those concerning the actual wedding itself.

By the end of the night, when they both retired to bed, a small amount of progress had been made. Their color theme was going to be navy blue, and while the flowers were still up for debate, Charlie already had a certain venue in mind; his uncle owned a house in the country, large and spacious, but barely ever used. Perhaps, he said, they could ask his permission to have their wedding there. And nearby the house was a decent hotel that the guests could stay at.

Eggsy agreed that it was good idea, but he’d like to see the house first, and Roxy would probably want to as well. They decided to tell her at their next meeting, and with that final thought, they both drifted to sleep.

 

* * *

 

God fucking damn it.

God _fucking_ damn it.

Eggsy wasn’t really sure how many times he could repeat that phrase in his head until it finally began to mean something, but by the time he was on his twentieth repetition, Charlie at least managed to snap out his stupor first and glare accusingly at the figure sitting in Roxy’s chair- who was most assuredly _not_ Roxy.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” he all but snarled, stepping protectively in front of Eggsy like he was some damsel in distress. If he wasn’t too busy cursing his luck with repetition number thirty-eight, Eggsy would have been annoyed.

The man in Roxy’s chair, who was _of course_ Harry Hart himself, frowned- whether that frown was directed at Charlie’s behavior or the simple fact that he and Eggsy had encountered one another yet _again_ was unclear. He had his hands resting on the keyboard in front of Roxy’s computer.

“Please calm yourself, Mr. Hesketh,” tutted Harry, sounding more like one of Eggsy’s old school teachers than a wedding planner. “I was just preparing to leave.”

He tapped a few more keys and moved one hand to the mouse to click something. Then, apparently satisfied, he stood. Bringing both hands up to button his suit jacket, he glanced at the engaged couple and nodded.

“Have a pleasant morning,” he said bluntly, and if Eggsy was being honest, it kind of pissed him off. The past two times, Harry was at least surprised to see Eggsy. Now it was more like Eggsy was a fly in his house that he couldn’t be bothered to do so much as swat at. How dare he be so fucking calm, when every time _Eggsy_ saw him, the younger man’s heart clenched unbearably tight, and then he hated himself for that, because Charlie was right fucking there, _damn it._

Just as Harry moved to step around the desk, the door to Roxy’s office opened, and the woman herself strode inside, a cup of coffee in one hand. Everyone already in the room looked at her, and she paused when she saw Harry behind her desk.

“Mr. Hart?” she frowned. “What…?”

“I needed to print something,” he said shortly. “My computer isn’t working at the moment.”

She blinked a few times before her shoulders relaxed. “Oh. Well, I’ll call Merlin and ask him to take a look at it for you.”

Harry grimaced. “ _Please_ don’t. That last thing I need is another scolding from your husband about how irresponsible I am with technology.”

“Well, how did you break it this time?”

The man went oddly silent, and opted for walking towards the door instead of answering. He sent one more look towards the couple currently standing bewildered in the middle of the office. His eyes seemed to focus on Eggsy, or at least, it felt that way to him, before he turned and uttered a small ‘goodbye’ to Roxy.

The young woman rolled her eyes. Turning to the couple, she smiled apologetically. “Sorry about that. Mr. Hart has awful luck when it comes to technology. I really hope my computer made it out unscathed.” She went over to said item to check it out, and upon seeing that nothing was ruined, she let out a sigh of relief. “Right then. Let’s get down to business.”

“Yes, let’s,” mumbled Charlie. It was clear he wanted to get away from the topic of Harry Hart as quickly as possible.

Roxy was unfazed. “You mentioned over the phone that you’ve decided on a few things?”

Eggsy was the one to answer, mostly because Charlie was still busy scowling. “We picked a date. And we think we have a venue.”

“Lovely,” she smiled. “When and where?”

“November 10th. And Charlie’s uncle has this house in the countryside. We were thinkin’ of havin’ the weddin’ there.”

Roxy reached for a blue notebook on her desk and quickly scribbled something in it- probably what Eggsy just said. “Alright. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to see this house first. Just to make sure it’s suitable for the ceremony and reception.

Now Charlie decided to cut in. “There’s a hotel nearby the house. We can hold the reception there.”

She nodded, and kept writing in her notebook. Eggsy shifted in his seat.

“And, uh… We decided on a color.” When Roxy looked up expectantly, he continued. “Navy blue?”

More writing. “Got it. Well, you two are on the right track.” Roxy smiled innocently at her clients. “Let’s schedule a time when I can see the house and hotel, and in the meantime, I’d like you to start working on your guest list. Is this going to be a big or small affair?”

“Small,” said Charlie. Eggsy nodded in agreement. They hadn’t actually talked about who they were inviting, but Eggsy only had so many friends, and Charlie was positive most of his ‘friends’ were going to avoid him like the plague once he became Mr. Unwin-Hesketh, so he also only had a few names to put on the invitations.

Roxy wrote that down too, and then shut her notebook with a loud _thud._ “Should take you no time at all, then.”

They talked for another few minutes, and it was decided that they would all drive out to look at the house in two weeks, with another meeting scheduled just before then. Just as Roxy was about to wrap things up and bid them farewell, a knock came at the door, causing all three of them to look in that direction.

A bald man, dressed in a sweater and black slacks, was leaning against the doorframe. He was a handsome bloke, his glasses adding a sort of ‘librarian’ effect to his overall look, and one eyebrow was quirked in an inquisitive manner as his arms crossed over his chest.

“Sorry to interrupt,” he said, sounding genuine. A thick Scottish brogue laced his words. “I thought you’d be done by now.”

Roxy’s professional, formal smile bloomed, turning into one of pure happiness. “I was running a bit late,” she replied. She looked at Eggsy and Charlie, who looked back at her, and she shrugged her shoulders. “My husband, Merlin.”

Eggsy’s gaze went straight back to the other man. _That_ was Roxy’s husband? He realized that he shouldn’t have been so surprised, especially when she said that he and Harry were old friends, so of course he’d be around the same age as him. Still, the fact that someone Harry’s age was with someone else Eggsy’s age was… Well, he didn’t know what it was. He decided to stop thinking about it.

“We were just finishing up.” Roxy stood up, and the couple followed her lead. She shook hands with them both in turn. “I’ll see you next week. And then we’ll look at the house, yes?”

“Yes,” agreed Charlie. The tension from his shoulders eased just a bit at the prospect of leaving the building. “Thank you, Ms. Morton.”

She smiled again, and then quickly walked around her desk and past them to her husband, as though she couldn’t wait to be near him. Merlin leaned down slightly when she stood on her toes to give him a kiss, smiling adoringly at the wedding planner like she’d hung the stars. It was like watching one of those cheesy movies about the perfect soulmates; it made Eggsy’s stomach churn uncomfortably.

“Oh, by the way…” Roxy was speaking again, but she was addressing Merlin, not the couple. “Harry broke his computer again.”

At once, Merlin looked as though he was fighting to hold back a groan. “For god’s sake.”

Charlie tugged insistently on Eggsy’s hand, and he let his fiance lead him out of the office before he could stop himself from listening in on more of the conversation. They walked through the building without a word to each other, though Charlie was still holding onto Eggsy- his ring hand, he noted absently- as they made their way to the car.

Eggsy glanced out of the corner of his eye just before they got to the doors, and luckily, his heart was growing used to the shock of seeing Harry, because there he was again.

He was a good distance away, holding aloft a blue binder, probably filled with important files, but his eyes met Eggsy’s in the exact same instant. There was no time to nod or even blink, because Charlie had pulled Eggsy through the doors, leaving Harry Hart inside the building.

Eggsy leaned his head against the window of the car as they drove back to Charlie’s apartment.  
  
This wedding was giving him a fucking _migraine_ , it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am very tired as I post this, so if there are any mistakes, tell me and I'll fix them once I wake up from a twelve-hour hibernation.
> 
> Also, you have no idea how close I was to naming Charlie's dog Audrey. Like, thisclose.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eggsy has to go to Hart & Soul Events alone. What could possibly go wrong?

By the time the next week rolled around, the guest list for the wedding had mostly been settled. After all, there weren’t a lot of people to invite. Charlie already knew his parents weren’t going to go, but Eggsy insisted on sending them an invitation anyway (for courtesy’s sake, he said), and he had only a small selection of friends and relatives who _didn’t_ turn up their noses every time they saw Eggsy. And Eggsy had an even smaller pool of people to choose from. His mum and sister were a given, and they had no choice but to invite Dean, too (though, with any luck, he’d probably just fuck off somewhere and not even show up). After them, he had only his few friends left to invite, and just like that, they’d ticked another chore off their to-do list.

Anyway, their next meeting with Roxy had come fairly quickly, but then Charlie had to go and get a call from work. Apparently, he was urgently needed, so Eggsy went to _Hart and Soul Events_ without his fiance in tow. And Charlie looked fairly apprehensive, too, which sort of annoyed Eggsy. He knew that Charlie was worried that Harry would show up out of the blue again (something it seemed the wedding planner was quite adept at), but he didn’t have to act like Eggsy was fucking _incompetent._

He could handle himself around Harry. Yeah, he still tensed a little whenever he thought of him, and his heart still pounded like crazy at the same time, but if Eggsy was good at anything, it was putting on a good face. So he assured Charlie that nothing was going to happen, and once he’d managed to placate his fiance, he went to go meet Roxy.

She greeted him once he reached her office (and luckily, no gentleman in a bespoke suit had been spotted just yet), and then they began to talk business.

“So you’ve got your guest list,” she noted, taking a hold of the piece of paper Eggsy had brought with him. “We can start making the invitations- you know, picking the stationary and the like- and perhaps, while you’re here, you can look at some flowers?”

Eggsy shrugged. “Sounds alright, I guess.”

They both stood and walked from Roxy’s office out into the hallway, but then a harried-looking worker came up to the young woman and tapped her shoulder, whispering something in her ear. She paused, listened carefully, and then sighed when he was done.

“Sorry, Eggsy,” she said apologetically, “Something’s come up; I won’t be a minute.”

“It’s fine,” he replied.

“Maybe you can just browse the flowers we have in our display room?” she suggested. “It’s down the hall, second door on the left.”

He nodded, and with that, Roxy followed the worker in the opposite direction. Eggsy watched them go before he continued on his way to the display room.

It was easy to find, since it had a clearly-marked label on the door. Eggsy pushed the door open and peered inside, checking to see if anyone was already inside.

And of fucking course, _Harry_ was there.

The older man didn’t notice Eggsy right away; he was rather focused on speaking to another older gentleman, who was holding two bouquets of flowers.

“I’m afraid Miss Little was very specific with her request, Ian,” Eggsy heard him say, and the man actually sounded very tired. “She wants a pink and blue bouquet, no roses, no carnations, and no hydrangeas.”

The other man, Ian, lowered each bouquet with an unimpressed look. “One would think she’s being this finicky on purpose.”

“You know what they say about brides,” replied Harry, wearily, running a hand down his face. “I’m not one to further stereotypes, but there are a certain few…”

Ian sighed. “Alright. I’ll see what I can do.” Then he turned, and that was when he spotted Eggsy in the doorway. “Oh. Hello there.”

Eggsy nearly froze when the man’s eyes turned upon him, and even more so when Harry turned to look, but he managed to keep his composure. At least enough to the point where he could nod in reply.

“Mr. Unwin,” said Harry, nothing in his voice or face suggesting that he was surprised to see him. “Here to look at the displays?”

“Uh, yeah.” Eggsy awkwardly shuffled into the room. “Sorry, you busy?”

“Not at all,” replied Ian, who was sending Harry a very suspicious sideways glance. “We were just finishing up.” He readjusted his hold on the bouquets, nodded at Harry and then at Eggsy, and made his way out of the room. Eggsy stepped aside to let him out, leaving him left alone with Harry Fucking Hart.

“Where’s Roxanne?” the older man asked, conversationally.

Eggsy was able to meet his eyes. “Somethin’ came up. She said she’d be a minute. Told me to browse in the meantime.”

Harry nodded, moving to gesture around the room, which was filled to the brim with flowers, decorations, and even a few fake cakes. “Well, don’t let me stop you. We have quite a selection to choose from.”

Eggsy stepped forwards, his eyes falling lazily over most of the flowers. Decorating had never really been his style, but he saw a number of pretty blossoms. Of course, he’d have to confer with Charlie about what they'd both like... His brow furrowed.

It was then he noticed that Harry hadn’t left the room, but rather was watching him curiously.

“What?” he asked, somewhat defensive.

Harry blinked, as if he’d just realized that he was just standing there, looking at Eggsy like a weirdo, and smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry. Just, I was wondering if you had anything in mind? For the wedding?”

“Oh. Well…” Eggsy turned back to gaze at the flowers again. “Not really. We decided on navy blue as our theme…”

“Any preference for a certain flower?”

Eggsy rubbed the back of his neck. “Well… I usually like daisies, but…”

“But what?” pressed Harry.

“Well, they ain’t exactly weddin’ flowers, right?”

“Nonsense,” admonished the wedding planner. He moved around Eggsy and pulled a bouquet from a shelf. It was made of, surprisingly, daisies. A plain lavender ribbons tied the flowers together, and eggsy had to admit that it was pretty… adorable. “Daisies are a perfectly viable option for any wedding. Though, they tend to be more popular in the summer. That might not fit an autumn wedding like yours.”

Eggsy blinked. “How’d you know the weddin’ was in the fall?”

Harry only shrugged and put the daisies back in their place. “All the wedding planners must log in their schedules with me. Miss Roxanne put a date in November for you and Mr. Hesketh.”

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Okay…”

The older man cleared his throat. “Why do you like daisies, if I may?”

Eggsy stared at him. It wasn’t hard to tell that he was changing the topic on purpose, but it wasn’t like Eggsy could just call him out on it. So instead, he replied. “My sister. Her name’s Daisy. So, y’know, she’s nuts about them.”

Harry smiled, so Eggsy pointedly looked away. “Then perhaps they’d suit you just fine.”

“Uh…” Eggsy felt himself blush. “Just, um… I don’t think Charlie likes them all that much. He’d probably want a more, I dunno, posh flower or summat.”

There was a beat, and then Harry spoke. “Perhaps roses? You know, white daisies and red roses actually make for a rather sophisticated combination.”

The younger man raised an eyebrow, disbelieving. “Really?”

“Oh, yes.” To prove his point, Harry plucked a few daisies from the bouquet he’d just put down, and then he moved to do the same to a bouquet of roses. After shuffling the blossoms around a bit, he present the makeshift bouquet to Eggsy, whose eyes grew wide. Harry wasn’t kidding; the bright white of the daisies stood out against the dark red roses, like a perfect balance of innocence and passion.

Eggsy smiled and nodded. “Not bad.”

It made the older man smile back, and he set the bundle down. “Though it doesn’t quite match your theme… Perhaps blue vases to put them in?” He stopped himself, blinking. “Oh, goodness me. I seem to have gotten a little bit carried away. Miss Roxanne will have my head if I just up and plan the wedding for her.” Harry tilted his head in what looked like an apologetic manner. It made Eggsy chuckle.

“It’s fine, bruv. You… You were a pretty big help, actually.” He gestured to the bouquet and grinned. “Think I might just go with that.”

Harry’s features relaxed. “I’m glad to hear it.” Then he suddenly startled, which in turn made Eggsy jolt, and the wedding planner reached into his jacket and pulled out a buzzing cell phone. Harry read what was on the screen and then smiled apologetically at Eggsy.

“Terribly sorry,” he murmured. “But I have another matter I need to attend to.”

Eggsy held up a dismissive hand. “It’s fine. I’ll just wait for Roxy.”

Harry dipped his head in acknowledgement. “Very good. Then, have a lovely day, Mr. Unwin.”

“You too.”

Harry smiled one last time and then left the room, Eggsy’s gaze following him until he was out the door. Then, as the door closed behind him, Eggsy let out a shuddering breath. Fucking _hell._ He’d been prepared for some sort of awkward confrontation, since Harry’s tendency to pop up out of nowhere had Eggsy worried, but he _hadn't_ been prepared for, well… a civil interaction. It was almost as if Harry didn’t even _know_ they were soulmates.

And that was sort of irritating.

Because Eggsy had been caught in a strange, tumultuous state, his chest clenched uncomfortably since the moment he saw Harry again, and then there was Harry, acting like there was nothing to be uncomfortable about.

Well, fuck him, in any case. If he wanted to be all smiles and polite conversation, than that worked out perfectly for Eggsy. Harry wasn’t going to try to talk to him about the whole ‘soulmate’ thing, and that was fine. Eggsy didn’t need him too. He had Charlie, he was getting married, and everything was _good._

Eggsy ran a hand down his face, surrounded by flowers and wedding decorations, and groaned.

Fucking hell.

 

* * *

 

Charlie knew something was up the minute Eggsy got home.

Apparently Eggsy wasn’t careful enough to avoid having a rather large and annoyed-looking frown on his face as he came back to the apartment, and since Charlie was in the living room (not five feet away from the doorway), he was spotted too quickly to school his expression into something else.

“Did something happen?” Charlie asked immediately. “Was it Harry?”

“Jesus,” Eggsy mumbled, shrugging off his jacket. “Relax, Charlie. It wasn’t anythin’ big, okay? Just… Roxy was a little busy, that’s all. I spent half my time there waitin’ on her.”

Unfortunately for Eggsy, Charlie wasn’t an idiot. So he didn’t buy the excuse. “Eggsy,” he said sternly, sounding more like a dad than Eggsy’s fiance.

Eggsy made a face at him and pushed past the taller young man, making his way to the couch in the living room. Winston took up half the space, but Eggsy managed to squeeze in next to the dog. Charlie followed him, but sat on the armrest.

“What happened?”

“I picked out some fuckin’ flowers, that’s what happened.”

Charlie frowned, his eyes narrowing. “That’s all?”

“Yeah. Like I said, Rox was busy.”

“... What sort of flowers, then?”

Eggsy let out a small sigh. “Daisies and roses.”

That earned an unimpressed look from Charlie. “What?” 

“Look, they actually look pretty fuckin’ good, okay? We’re gonna put them in blue vases or some shit.”

“Okay,” Charlie said, but he didn’t sound the least bit convinced that that was all. “So that was all Roxy managed to do? Pick out flowers?”

“Well, uh…” Eggsy scratched nervously at his chin. “Actually, Roxy just helped me start on the invitations. It was, um… It was Harry that picked out the flowers.”

He winced as Charlie’s face fell to an expression of shock- and quite possibly betrayal. But Eggsy figured it would have been worse if he’d kept it from him, only to have him find out later. And Eggsy didn’t fucking lie to people he cared about.

But at the moment, it didn’t seem like Charlie appreciated the sentiment. “What?!”

Winston immediately perked up his ears, only to be placated by Eggsy’s hand petting down his back. “Charlie, listen, it was nothin’! He didn’t even act like we were soulmates!”

“But you _are_ soulmates, Eggsy!” Charlie stood up and paced around the room, clearly agitated. “Jesus Christ… And you just went with whatever he suggested, then?” he continued, accusatory.

Eggsy stopped petting the dog, to Winston’s displeasure, and stood too, glaring at his fiance. “For fuck’s sake, Charlie, calm down! Just ‘cause he picked out some pretty flowers don’t mean I’m gonna go jump into his arms!" 

“And how do you know that’s not what he’s aiming for, hm?”

“He’s a fuckin’ weddin’ planner, he’s just doin’ his job! He’s helpin’ _us_ get married!”

“Eggsy…” Charlie sighed, frustrated. He leveled the shorter man with a stern glare. “You promised everything would be fine.”

“Everythin’ _is_ fine, jesus! And you know why? ‘Cause Harry treated me like I was just a normal client. Nothin’ special. He don’t want anythin’ from me- from _us-_  other than business, alright? Now quit overreactin’!”

They stared each other down with glares of matching intensity. Then, Charlie looked away, holding a hand to his forehead as though he were combating a massive headache. Eggsy could feel one of his own coming on.

“ _Fine,”_ bit out Charlie. “I’m going to bed.”

“Alright,” frowned Eggsy. He watched Charlie stalk off towards the bedroom. Once he heard the door to their bedroom click shut, he sank back into the seat besides Winston, and reached a hand up to absently scratch the dog’s ears. Winston let out an appreciative whine, unaware of the tensions between his master and Eggsy.

Eggsy sighed.

When he finally went to bed an hour later, Charlie’s back was facing him, the rigid way he held himself giving away the fact that he wasn’t actually asleep. But Eggsy, mercifully, said nothing to him, but only settled under the covers and closed his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up for anyone who's worried: Harry's not actually going to actively do anything to sabotage Eggsy and Charlie's relationship. He's a motherfuckin' gentleman, people, not a monster. Anything that happens to them from here on out is either their fault or Harry accidentally doing something.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Instead of a chapter summary, I shall tell you you all the alternate title for this story.
> 
> The Universe Really Hates Eggsy-fucking-Unwin.

Things hadn’t gotten much better in the days following Eggsy’s solo visit to _Hart and Soul Events._

At the very least, after the first day, Charlie had stopped glowering at nothing in particular, but he barely spoke to his fiance, and they had yet to really ‘make up’ over what had happened. Which was just fine for Eggsy, since he still thought Charlie was making a big deal out of nothing.

But still, since Roxy hadn’t called either of them about the wedding, Eggsy didn’t have anything to distract himself from the insufferably awkward silences- except for, of course, work. And fortunately, Kingsman was open for seven hours a day, seven days a week, and Charlie had been working longer hours than that recently. But whenever they were both at home, the only sounds were usually Winston barking for food, or them speaking in very clipped, short sentences, forcing out formalities like ‘how was work?’ and the like. After about three days of this, Eggsy was growing frustrated.

So, in an attempt to alleviate the stress, he dialled up Roxy’s office number while he was on break and hoped that she would answer. Surely the invitations were done by now- and they still hadn’t gone to look at Charlie’s uncle’s house. Eggsy waited for a few seconds as the phone dialled, but then, he was met with the monotone voice of an answering machine. He swore under his breath and tried again, this time calling her cell phone.

It was picked up on the second ring, but it wasn’t Roxy’s voice that greeted him.

“Mr. Unwin?” came a Scottish brogue- Merlin, Eggsy’s mind supplied helpfully.

“Er-” he hesitated, since he obviously hadn’t meant to talk to Roxy’s husband. “Hello, Merlin. Is, uh, Roxy there?”

There was a pause, then a small sigh. “I take it she hasn’t told you?”

Eggsy frowned. “Told me what?”

“Roxy’s come down with something. A fever, it looks like.” Then, Eggsy could hear something, as though it were coming from right behind Merlin. It sounded like groaning. Merlin continued talking despite it. “She’s tried going into work four times in the last two days, so it’s been hard enough making sure she stays in bed. It figures she hasn’t called you.”

“Oh.” Eggsy’s eyebrows drew together in concern. “Is she alright?”

“She’ll be fine, so long as she _rests.”_ Merlin said the last word sternly, and Eggsy imagined he was probably staring at Roxy as he said it. There was a muffled curse on the other side of the line, and despite himself, Eggsy smiled. Roxy seemed like a right nightmare when she was sick, but Merlin could likely handle her.

“Well, tell her I hope she gets better soon. We got a weddin’ to plan and all that.”

After a beat, Merlin spoke again. “Well, if you’d really like to hurry things along, I’m sure the office can assign you a temporary planner. Until Roxy is better, at least.”

“She wouldn’t mind?”

“She doesn’t have much say in the matter. But don’t worry, she’s very meticulous about note-taking and the like. Whoever gets control of your wedding just has to follow her directions and everything should be fine.”

“Alright…” Eggsy reached up to scratch absently at his neck. “Any idea who’s available?”

“How about I call and check for you? It’s the least I could do, since Roxy was too stubborn to tell you she couldn’t work in the first place.”

Eggsy heard Roxy swear in the distance again. He grinned. “Sounds ace, Merlin. Thanks.”

“No problem. I’ll call back later.”

“Alright.”

 

* * *

 

Hours later, Eggsy was back at the apartment, and the moment Charlie walked in, he informed him of the wedding’s latest development, not even looking up from the television.

“Roxy’s sick,” he said, immediately catching Charlie’s attention. “Her husband said he’d call the office and find someone to step in for her until she’s better.”

There was a silence, until Eggsy strained his ears to hear the sounds of Charlie shrugging off his suit jacket and shoes. Then his footsteps grew louder, and it was easy to tell that he was only a few feet away from Eggsy.

“Has he called back yet?”

“Nope.”

And then, almost like a cue, the phone rang. Eggsy and Charlie both turned their heads to look at the source of the noise; since Charlie was standing, he went to answer it.

“Hello? Yes, this is Charles Hesketh.” He raised an eyebrow in Eggsy’s direction, telling him that it was indeed Merlin on the other end of the line. “Yes, Eggsy told me about Roxy. Have you found someone else to fill in for her?” His tone was exasperated at best.

It was quiet as Charlie listened to Merlin’s response. Eggsy was watching his fiance with mild interest. Then, Charlie’s eyes grew wide. “What?!”

That startled Eggsy. He stood up and crossed over to Charlie, who now looked enraged. “What? What is it?”

“You’re fucking _kidding!”_

Annoyed, Eggsy quickly swiped the phone out of his grip and pressed it to his own ear, ignoring Charlie’s sound of protest.

“Merlin?” he said.

“Ah, Eggsy,” the older man replied, sounding incredibly grateful. “Good, you’re there too.”

“Yeah… What happened? Could you not find somebody to take over for Roxy?”

“Oh, he found someone,” Charlie glowered.

Eggsy frowned and pressed the phone closer to his ear. Merlin sighed, and Eggsy could practically hear him rubbing at his temples.

“Well… You see Eggsy, there was only one other planner available.”

“Who?”

“... Harry.”

Eggsy nearly dropped the phone. But he maintained his grip and practically shouted, “What?!”

“I’ve already spoken to him,” Merlin cut in, presumably to stem any oncoming profanities Eggsy was about to let out. “He said he would do it, but the decision is entirely yours and Charlie’s. He understands how… delicate the situation is.”

“ _Delicate_?” Eggsy repeated, incredulous. He risked glancing at Charlie, who looked pissed beyond belief. “Are you sure there’s absolutely no one else?”

“All the other planners are booked.” To his credit, Merlin sounded apologetic. “Harry said you could postpone the wedding until Roxy is better.”

“I…” Eggsy cut himself off with a groan. “Do you know how long it’ll take for her to recover?”

“She’s certainly not helping things along,” came the sardonic reply. “Listen, Eggsy… If you want my advice… Just go with Harry.”

Eggsy’s jaw dropped as he felt his heart seize up. “What?”

“I mean, as your planner,” Merlin quickly corrected. “He’s damn good at his job. With him, you and Charlie should be married on schedule, no problem.”

“No problem? Merlin, the man’s- Well, I’m pretty fuckin’ sure you know what he is.”

“Your soulmate, yes. But look, Harry’s nothing if not professional. He would treat your wedding like it was any other.”

Eggsy immediately frowned, forcing himself to breathe evenly, like that last statement didn’t fucknig _burn._ But in the end, he knew Merlin was right. If Harry’s behavior from their last encounter was anything to go by, the man _did_ know how to separate personal issues from his professional life. He did it so well, in fact, that Eggsy seriously wondered if he even remembered that Eggsy’s name was written on his skin very prominently.

“Hang on,” Eggsy sighed. He lowered the phone, put one hand over the speaker, and looked at Charlie. His fiance still looked horribly upset. His arms were crossed over his chest and his mouth was upturned in a permanent scowl. Eggsy took a deep breath, bracing himself. “... We can’t really postpone it.”

Charlie gaped. “You’re not serious.”

“We’ve already made the invitations, and sent them. It would make more sense to just keep going, wouldn’t it?” As he spoke, Eggsy grew more and more nervous, if only because Charlie was clearly not believing a word he was saying. “‘sides, the faster we get married, the better, right?”

“ _Gary,_ ” Charlie said, emphasizing Eggsy’s real name, “your soulmate is not going to plan our wedding.”

“He’s hardly my fuckin’ _anythin’_ Charlie!” Eggsy all but shouted. Merlin probably heard that little outburst, even with Eggsy’s hand on the phone, but he found himself not caring. He glared at Charlie instead. “He sees me as a client- _at best._ He just wants our business so he can get paid, and you know what I want? A fuckin’ weddin’! So yeah, I say he _should_ plan the damn thing, ‘cause I am not puttin’ this shit on hold just because _you’re_ throwin’ a fit!”

It was quiet. Charlie actually looked stunned for a few moments, but then his scowl quickly returned. He steeled his jaw and sent Eggsy a deadly look.

“You’re just _begging_ for an excuse to spend time with him.” Before Eggsy could retort (rather angrily), he turned his head away and began marching off towards the door. “Fine. Let him plan the wedding. But I can fucking promise you it’s not _me_ he’s doing it for.”

And with that, Charlie disappeared, slamming the front door behind him. Eggsy watched after him, his brows furrowed in anger, before he returned his attention to the phone, where Merlin had been waiting patiently for their argument to end.

“Merlin? You still there?”

“Yes, lad. Is… everything alright?”

“Fine,” he bit out. “Tell Harry he’s our planner.”

“... Alright. You’re certain?”

“Yeah.”

“Then… I’ll tell him right away. Goodnight, Eggsy.”

“... Night.”

He hung up the phone and put it back in its place. The only sounds in the room were Eggsy’s breathing and Winston’s snoring from the couch. Damn dog stayed asleep the whole time.

Eggsy groaned, his feet moving him to the bedroom. All he wanted to do was sleep. He had no idea where Charlie had gone off to, and maybe he should have cared a tiny bit more, but the bed was calling his name too loudly for anything else to matter.

He would resolve things in the morning, he decided.

 

* * *

 

Unfortunately, when morning came, Eggsy awoke to an empty bed- though the sheets beside him were definitely rumpled, indicating that Charlie had slept there that night. He must have left for work pretty quietly, if he didn’t wake Eggsy up.

Sighing, Eggsy hauled himself out of bed and prepared for work. After a quick shower and insubstantial breakfast, he poured a small amount of dog food into Winston’s bowl before he left the apartment, headed for Kingsman tailors.

It was an unbearably slow day, the kind where Eggsy found himself wishing for something to happen. But what _did_ happen wasn’t exactly what he’d hoped for.

James approached him  while he was folding shirts, wearing his usual smile. Eggsy gave a half-hearted one in return.

“Percy and I are going to lunch. You’re in charge,” he said, and it wasn’t anything new. Eggsy had been left in charge of the shop before. But what he said next was the kicker.

“Mr. Hart will be stopping by to pick up a suit; it should be under the name ‘Eynsford’.”

Eggsy froze, his hands clutching at a previously crisp white shirt. He must have nodded or something, because then James was gone, Percival in tow, leaving Eggsy all alone in the shop that suddenly seemed far too large for one person.

Of _course_ Harry would be dropping by. It was just his luck.

Eggsy forced himself to calm down; he finished folding up the shirts and started to pace the room. It was probably better, he told himself. Now he could at least try and talk to Harry professionally, since he was now their wedding planner… Though, judging from the fight they’d had before, Eggsy didn’t know if Charlie even still wanted to get married.

Just a few minutes later, the bell on the door rang, signaling the arrival of a customer. When Eggsy tilted his head to see who it was, he found Harry standing in the shop, looking like the damn model for Kingsman in his perfect suit and Oxford shoes. The wedding planner saw Eggsy as well, and offered a polite, if somewhat strained, smile.

“Mr. Unwin,” he greeted.

Eggsy responded awkwardly, shifting his weight from foot to foot. “Evenin’, Mr. Hart. Here for the Eynsford’ suit, yeah?”

“Yes.” Harry huffed, appearing rather annoyed. “It seems that Mr. Eynsford is incapable of conducting his own business, even for his own wedding.”

Eggsy fought the urge to smile; instead, he shrugged and went to collect the suit, which rested on the counter, wrapped up in a gold and black box. “‘s what you’re there for, innit?”

“I am a wedding planner, not a manservant,” he replied, indignantly.

Eggsy rolled his eyes. “Right, sorry.” He picked up the box and turned, handing it to Harry. Then, in an effort to be somewhat courteous, he spoke up again. “By the way, thanks for the whole ‘daisies-and-roses’ thing. I showed ‘em to my sis and she loves ‘em.”

Harry smiled. “I’m glad to hear it.” After a brief moment of hesitation, he followed it with, “Did Mr. Hesketh…?”

And immediately, Eggsy tensed. “He… He said they were alright,” he lied.

Harry studied him for a moment. Luckily for Eggsy, he didn’t comment further. “Very well then.” He tucked the box securely under his arm and then looked at Eggsy. “Merlin’s told me that I might take over Roxy’s duties as your planner for a while. Is that really alright?”

He shrugged again. “I guess. We ain’t got any other option.”

“It might be terribly awkward.”

“We’re _way_ past awkward, bruv.” Harry gave him a pointed look, and he sighed. “Look, I’m sorry. Just, this whole weddin’ thin’ has kinda… You know. It’s stressful.”

The older man took a moment before nodding. “… Yes, of course. In fact, I should be the one to apologize. Given our… situation, it’s completely understandable. I may have overstepped my boundaries with the flowers…” He glanced sheepishly at Eggsy, who shook his head.

“Nah, mate, the flowers were great, really. ‘Sides, it’s your job.”

“But still… I would hate to make things difficult between you and your fiance. It’s my job to bring people closer together, not tear them apart.”

He huffed out a laugh. “Well, I bet that’s probably easier when it ain’t your fuckin’ soulmate you’re talkin’ about.”

Harry flinched. “Eggsy-”

Eggsy spoke quietly. “It was four years ago, Harry. I’m well fuckin’ over it.”

Well, that was debatable, but Harry didn’t have to know all about Eggsy’s inner turmoil. The older man gave him a strange look, like he was trying to see if he was being serious, but then he backed down, readjusting the box in his arms.

“Ah… Yes. Of course. Well, then…” Harry turned to go, but Eggsy suddenly stepped forward.

“Although-!” As Harry turned to look at him, surprised, Eggsy swallowed his nerves. Better to ask now than never. “Can I ask you somethin’?”

“… What is it?”

He bit his lip, looking down at the floor of the shop. “… Why?”

There was a pause. Then… “I… beg your pardon?”

Eggsy forced himself to continue, though he was pretty sure he could hear his heart pounding in his ear by then. “Why’d you turn me away? I mean, I can probably guess that I was too young for ya, but… It would be nice to hear you say it.”

Harry looked at him, calculating, considering. “Would it give you closure?”

“… Yeah, I guess so. Somethin’ like that…”

The wedding planner studied him for a long while before his shoulders deflated, like he’d lost some kind of internal struggle. “Very well. But I should tell you, Eggsy, that I didn’t turn you away simply because you were too young.”

… Huh. That certainly wasn’t what Eggsy was expecting to hear. “Then… why else…?”

“It’s true, I was a bit… disconcerted by your age. But, under normal circumstances, since there was no denying that we were each other’s soulmates, I would have waited.”

What. What the fuck? “What d’you mean, _normal_ circumstances?”

It was deafningly quiet in the shop. Not even the murmur from the street outside broke through. Then Harry spoke, looking Eggsy in the eye.

“… I was engaged.”

“… What?”

As Eggsy’s inner mind went absolutely batshit, Harry explained; honestly, the younger man was surprised he managed to hear a word of it.

“The night we met, I was returning from having dinner with my fiancee. We didn’t live together since she had an apartment in the city that was closer to her work, and I was too stubborn to leave my own home,” he offered a sardonic smile, but Eggsy only gaped in response.

“I… _shit.”_

Was Harry _married?_ Yeah, he didn’t wear a ring, but that was really unusual. Lots of married couples didn’t wear rings- his mum and Dean sure as fuck didn’t- so maybe Harry-...

Oh, fucking hell.

All the while, Harry was watching Eggsy, trying to gauge his reaction. Eggsy hoped to god his panic attack wasn’t visible on the outside.

“Her soulmate was gone, and I was yet unattached. We thought it was perfect... Imagine my surprise, then, when I met you.”

He finally rediscovered the ability to talk. “So you… You were engaged. That’s why you…”

“Yes. I’m sorry, Eggsy. I should have offered you a better explanation, but at the time, I wasn’t thinking clearly. And… You said you also weren’t interested in having a soulmate, so I figured…” he trailed off, looking as flustered as Eggsy felt.

Meanwhile, Eggsy was struggling to come to grips with this new information. On one hand, he was partially relieved. He could see Harry’s point of view a bit better now, and he seemed genuinely apologetic. Besides, his indifference towards Eggsy (as far as the whole ‘soulmates’ thing was concerned) was more understandable, since Harry probably had a wife waiting for him back home. But…

On the other hand, his soulmate was married. And _had_ been for the past four years. It was a rude awakening, bordering on downright _upsetting_ to realize that Eggsy never stood a chance.

He cleared his throat, willing it to work again. He could remain calm. “… Does she know you’re plannin’ my weddin’? Cause I know that might make things awkward, and I-...”

“We’re not married, Eggsy,” Harry said, quietly. “She broke off the engagement three months after the night we met.”

Stunned, Eggsy could only blink. “ _Why?_ ”

Harry sighed. “Apparently, despite my reassurances that my having a soulmate did not affect my feelings for her, she thought that I would eventually leave. She wanted to end it before I could have the chance, it seemed.”

“Leave her… for me?” Holy _shit._

At that point, the wedding planner looked away. “Well, now you know. Are you satisfied?”

“Harry…” Eggsy said, and it wasn’t without pity. Fuck _._ So apparently he broke up an engagement. When he was sixteen. _Fuuuck._

“I should get going,” Harry coughed. “Mr. Eynsford will want his suit. I’ll see you and Mr. Hesketh instead of Roxanne for your next meeting… Is that really alright?”

Eggsy nodded, for he couldn’t find anything else to say in light of this new information, and watched silently as Harry left the shop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There. We got a glimpse at Harry's perspective. What say you now, readers?


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys finally make up, and for a moment it seems like everything is going to be okay... until, of course, it doesn't.

When Eggsy returned home, dead tired and wanting nothing more than to tuck his face into a pillow and scream, he nearly missed the sight of Charlie on the sofa, staring at him expectantly, as though he’d been waiting for him to come home. Luckily, Winston barked, catching Eggsy’s attention, so he did spot his fiance.

Eggsy managed a weak smile, not that it convinced either of them. “Everythin’ alright?”

It was unbearably awkward, and understandably so, considering how their _last_ conversation had gone. Charlie didn’t even answer; he stood up, crossed over to where Eggsy was standing in front of the door, and stared at him for a few seconds before he sighed, his face crumpled with obvious regret.

“I’m sorry.”

Eggsy flinched; Charlie was rarely ever the one to apologize first.

“I know that you’ve done none of this deliberately. All of your run-ins with… Harry have been accidents. I _know_ that. But I still…” He groaned. “Look, you can’t blame me for getting at least a little upset, alright?”

When Eggsy finally responded, he was very quiet. “I know.” He offered a smile, a more genuine one this time. “I _don’t_ blame you, Charlie.” Fuck, if the circumstances were different, and Charlie was the one seeing his soulmate everywhere, Eggsy would be more than a little pissed. Eggsy knew that, and realizing it just now made him feel terribly guilty for yelling at Charlie earlier. “Just…” he sighed. “Listen, okay?”

He waited for Charlie to nod before continuing. “Harry don’t love me. He’s made that perfectly clear.” He hoped to god that the hurt wasn’t showing on his face. “And… even if he did, he’s too late. Don’t know if you noticed, but I’m sorta engaged to someone else.”

Eggsy held up his hand which held the engagement ring, and to his gratification, Charlie smiled a little.

“But he’s a weddin’ planner- and a gentleman, I’ll give him that. All he wants to do is help us get married, and if we can look past the whole ‘soulmate’ thing, we’ll be hitched before you know it. I can handle bein’ around him. Alright?”

Charlie watched him, an eyebrow raised. “... Did something happen? You seem a lot… calmer.”

He got a tired smile as a reply. “I’ll tell you about it later. Right now all I wanna do is sleep.”

So instead of pushing the matter further (and probably just thankful that the whole thing seemed to be forgiven), Charlie brought Eggsy to the bedroom. Neither bothered to change out of their clothes- as soon as Eggsy’s back hit the mattress, he felt his eyelids grow heavier. And he was warm, too, as Charlie wrapped his arms around his midsection from behind. It was as comfortable as they’d ever been since they started planning the fucking wedding, but Eggsy still found his heart aching from Harry’s earlier revelation.

He fell asleep two minutes later, telling himself that the ache was just what it felt like to move on.

 

* * *

 

Within the next few days, when their next scheduled appointment with Harry was to take place, Charlie and Eggsy had fallen back to their usual patterns of behavior. Well, sort of. Eggsy hadn’t really noticed it at first, but it became astonishingly clear once they met with Harry outside of the _Hart and Soul_ office building.

Harry offered them a polite smile and wave, which Charlie promptly responded to with a formal smile of his own _and_ an arm quickly curling around Eggsy’s waist. Eggsy fought the urge to roll his eyes, since he couldn’t say it was completely unexpected. To his credit, the smile was the most cordial Charlie had ever been to Harry, even if he was compensating by clinging to Eggsy a bit more than usual.

And it might have just been Eggsy’s imagination, but Harry’s gaze lingered on Charlie’s hand on his waist for a millisecond longer than what was normal.

The three of them soon piled into Harry’s car- a very expensive-looking Bentley, _jesus christ-_ and then they were off, driving for almost an hour into the countryside of England. It might have been an awkward trip, but luckily, Harry filled in the silence with conversation about the wedding. Mostly he was going over some sort of mental checklist of what they had already done, and what still needed to be done before the actual ceremony came around. Charlie took charge and answered most of the questions, which left Eggsy to watch out the window as the cityscape gave away to suburban houses, and then finally, rolling green hills.

They passed the hotel, and shortly after, Charlie’s uncle’s house came into view. Harry pulled up to the driveway and they all got out of the car.

There was no doubt that it was a beautiful house- more manor than anything else. It was made of old brick and stone, its architecture heralding the glory days of the Regency, reminding Eggsy of a _Pride and Prejudice_ set. Easily three stories high, with god knows how many rooms inside, Harry gave a hum of approval from beside Eggsy.

“Very lovely. You’re certain your uncle doesn’t mind letting you use the space?”

Charlie shook his head. “Not at all. He rarely ever stays here. Mostly he uses it to escape the rest of the family during the holidays. I used to join him, sometimes.”

Harry laughed quietly, and soon, the three of them were inside the house, which was just as regal as the outside hinted. A little dusty from lack of use (as Charlie’s uncle only had a cleaning crew in a few times a year), but otherwise, a picturesque location for a wedding. It had only taken Harry a few minutes to tour the main rooms to say as much out loud.

“I think it’s just perfect,” he said, smiling. “In fact, weather permitting, you may even be able to have an outdoor ceremony.”

Charlie had smiled, and Eggsy figured he had as well, since the conversation ended there, and they were on their way out of the house. But Harry wasn’t quite finished.

“You mentioned there was a hotel nearby?”

“Yes,” answered Charlie.

“If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to go and see what services they could offer the wedding. If they do catering, for example.”

Finding no reason to say no, they went to the hotel by way of a short, five-minute drive. The hotel was just as classy as the house, almost as if they were built as part of a set, though it was considerably bigger, and of course, occupied. All manner of expensive cars and well-dressed patrons signaled to Eggsy that this was the sort of place he never would have visited in a thousand years, were it not for his association with Charlie. Yet, Charlie had promised that the rates for the rooms were surprisingly affordable, so any of Eggsy’s guests could manage to stay for a couple of nights (and even if they couldn’t, Eggsy was more than willing to pay for them).

The inside of the hotel was like something straight out of a romantic movie, the kind where the heroine is from a posh, uptight family that insisted on holding the reception in that kind of ‘respectable’ place. And the people inside were just as intimidating, all designer clothes and tiny dogs inside purses. Eggsy was suddenly glad he’d decided to dress a bit more formal than he would have normally; though honestly, he almost wished he could see the scandalized looks on the posh gits’ faces if he swaggered inside, fully decked out in his Adidas gear.

Harry was doing most of the work, so while he was off talking to a pretty receptionist about what the hotel could offer for a wedding, Charlie and Eggsy were walking around the grounds, hands entwined.

“So, you used to come here with your uncle sometimes, yeah?” Eggsy asked. Some people were staring at their hands, as if it was indecent to be holding them that way, but they were ignored by both young men.

“Yes, but not often. Usually when my parents would visit him, they stayed at this hotel.”

“Your family really is splintered, ain’t it?”

Charlie gave a sardonic smile. “Understatement.”

Eggsy fought off a grin. “Tell you what though, this place is right posh. I don’t think my mum or my mates would be comfortable here.”

“It’s only for a few days. And there are a lot of features here I think they would enjoy.”

“They ain’t like you, Charlie. The kind of features you’re thinkin’ about probably ain’t their cup of tea. Let me guess, tennis courts and champagne spas?”

Charlie glowered. “... Actually, they have a cricket field.”

And that almost made Eggsy burst out laughing, were it not for the sudden voice shouting over the din of the hotel.

“Is that-...? It _is!_ Charlie!”

They both turned around to see who was making all the noise, and were met with the sight of three young men, all of whom looked like they were fresh out of Oxford University or some other posh institution. Eggsy felt Charlie tense up immediately, which sent a wave of worry through him. It didn’t help when he looked over at his fiance, who was now sporting a very obviously fake smile as the men approached.

“Rufus,” he said quietly, speaking to the brunette at the front of the group. He was accompanied by a blonde and a redhead- and the blonde was staring at Charlie like he was some sort of alien.

Charlie tilted his head to acknowledge the others. “Nathaniel,” he said to the redhead. When his eyes turned to the blonde, he practically grimaced. “... Digby.”

And Eggsy nearly fell over- _fucking hell._

_That_ was Digby?

Like, _Charlie’s_ Digby?

He definitely was, if the way he steeled his jaw and said, “Charlie” in what was the most forced tone Eggsy had ever heard from any human being, ever.

But Rufus, apparently, was unaware of the tension between the two of them, as he was still talking, forcing the others to pay attention to him.

“We haven’t seen you since graduation! What on earth are you doing here?”

“I…” Charlie faltered, his eyes darting to Eggsy. That was when Nathaniel noticed their entwined hands and grinned lecherously.

“Oh, and who is this?” he asked, giving Eggsy a quick once-over. Eggsy did _not_ like the way his smile widened.

“Oh, this is…” Charlie turned to him, and Eggsy saw some hesitation in his eyes before he continued. “This is Eggsy. He’s…”

“Eggsy?” Digby scoffed. “What sort of name is that?”

Eggsy frowned. “Could ask you the same thin’ about ‘Digby’, bruv.”

All three of the posh fuckwits looked visibly startled at Eggsy’s rough accent, which didn’t match his moderately well-dressed appearance at all.

“Oh, Charlie,” Rufus spoke, something akin to _pity_ in his tone. “Don’t tell me you’re slumming it now. Is this why your parents don’t ever talk about you anymore?”

Eggsy felt Charlie’s hand tighten around his. “I am not ‘slumming it’, Rufus. In fact, Eggsy here is my fiance.”

They could almost hear their jaws drop. Rufus looked suitably scandalized, Nathaniel appeared torn between impressed and horrified, and Digby looked… well, Eggsy didn’t know what to call _that_ look, but it definitely wasn’t pleasant. The look he gave Eggsy’s engagement ring- which seemed to grow more prominent after Charlie announced their situation- was one of pure hatred.

“Your _what?”_ Rufus squawked.

“Fiance. As in, we’re getting married. In fact, we’re planning the wedding now.” Charlie indulged himself with a satisfied smile, and looked over their shoulders. His grin widened. “Oh, and there’s our wedding planner.”

Eggsy’s gaze snapped over, and yes, Harry was striding towards the group as Charlie spoke. The wedding planner looked a bit confused by the extra people, but he kept approaching them nonetheless.

“Mr. Hart,” Charlie said pleasantly, reveling in their distress. “These are few old schoolmates of mine.”

“... Hello,” Harry said, one eyebrow raised. They all stuttered back responses. “Will your… schoolmates be attending the wedding?”

“No, I shouldn’t think so. We were merely catching up is all.”

“Right, yes,” Rufus said hurriedly. “Well, we really must be off. It was, uh… n-nice seeing you again, Charlie-!”

“Oh, just go away,” Charlie said, rolling his eyes. The trio obeyed, all but running from that spot. But, Digby cast one last look over his shoulder before turning away again.

It was silent for a long while, until Harry finally spoke.

“... Did I miss something?” he asked, turning to Eggsy.

Eggsy could do little more than shrug helplessly. Charlie took a deep breath and answered instead.

“... No. Come on.”

 

* * *

 

Luckily, the hotel _did_ offer catering for weddings, so after Harry finished making the arrangements and talking to the right people, he was satisfied that they’d done a great amount of work, and gave Eggsy and Charlie the okay to go home once he’d driven them back to his office.

But now, without Harry there to distract either of them, the ride home in Charlie’s car was absolutely tormenting. Charlie kept his eyes straight on the road, his grip tight on the steering wheel, as Eggsy unabashedly stared at him. It was quite clear to him that his fiance had no desire to talk about what happened at the hotel. But fuck that.

“You alright?” he asked suddenly, making Charlie jump in his seat.

His reply, though, was terse. “I’m perfectly fine. Why do you ask?”

“Charlie,” Eggsy said, voice flat.

He sighed. “Honestly, Eggsy, I’m fine.”

“You just ran into your soulmate. Who rejected you. I know what that’s like Charlie; you ain’t fine.”

Charlie barely attempted to cover up his scoff. “I’m not _you.”_

“You looked like you’d seen a ghost,” Eggsy frowned.

“ _I’m. Fine.”_

He was definitely not in the mood to talk. His angry glare was still on the road, but Eggsy, ever persistent, just narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips.

“You know, you never talked about Digby all that much.”

“ _You_ never talked about Harry,” he said back.

“‘Cause I met Harry _once_. You and Digby knew each other for a while before you found out you were soulmates, didn’t you?”

“What does it matter, Eggsy?” Charlie groaned, finally acknowledging Eggsy with a quick sideways glance.

“It matters ‘cause we’re gettin’ married,” he retorted. “That means no more secrets. And you’ve put me through the wringer about Harry. Turnabout’s fair play and all that shit.”

Charlie bit his lip, knowing fully well that he couldn’t contest with that statement. “… Okay, fine.” He took a deep breath. “We did know each other… We were… friends.”

Eggsy was satisfied that he was talking, but he was careful to maintain his neutral, if slightly agitated, look. “I thought your families hated each other?”

“We didn’t know that in the beginning. It was sort of an unspoken hatred. Anyway, Digby and I met at a party and started talking. We had some stuff in common, so we started texting and calling each other, and…” He glanced over again, only to find Eggsy listening attentively, so he was forced to go on. “I asked him out. Our first date is when we first actually touched each other, and that’s when we found out…”

“That you were soulmates,” finished Eggsy softly.

Charlie swallowed thickly. “… Yeah. Things seemed great, at first. We went on a few more dates, we were happy… Till we decided to go and tell our parents. You know how that turned out.”

He nodded, but his tone was filled with disbelief. “So Digby just… told you to fuck off?”

“Basically,” Charlie smiled, mirthlessly. “Even after I tried appealing to our parents, he wouldn’t risk being disowned and tarnishing his fucking reputation. So he broke things off. Told me… Told me to never talk to him again.”

It was quiet in the car for a few tense moments before Eggsy said but one word.

“… _Arsehole.”_

“… Yeah.” Charlie inhaled deeply and let out a long-suffering sigh. “Anyway, can we… not talk about this anymore? Please.”

Eggsy stared at him, taking in his tired expression, and nodded. “… Yeah, alright.”

He turned his head to stare out the window, but in the corner of his eye, he saw Charlie move. His hand went over his heart and clutched at the fabric of his shirt. It could have been a conscious move or not, but there was no mistaking the expression on pain Charlie wore on his face. It was one Eggsy had seen on himself quite a few times many years ago.

Eggsy sighed internally. They were both fucked up.

Misery loves company, indeed.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Certain people are worried about Eggsy, despite his reassurances that everything is fine. Then, something happens that is very not-fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm. I like parts of this chapter, but boy was it a bitch to write.
> 
> You might be noticing how fast the planning seems to be going for the wedding. This is for two reasons:
> 
> 1)Charlie and Eggsy want to speed things up as much as possible, lest more temptation come their way.  
> 2)I have no idea how long it actually takes to plan a wedding. 
> 
> So yeah. But hey, we’re getting closer to the end. We're more than halfway through my outline for this story.

* * *

 

 

A small sort of peace had settled since the visit to the house, which was about two weeks ago. Nearly everyone had RSVP’d to the wedding- and, as predicted, Charlie’s parents declined, though Charlie himself wasn’t particularly upset. If anything, he seemed relieved. And much of the planning for the wedding had been handled already- catering was taken care of by the hotel, all of the flowers had been selected and ordered; hell, they’d even chosen a cake.

Well, Daisy had chosen the cake. Charlie didn’t really mind and Eggsy wasn’t going to deny his precious little flower the opportunity to ‘help’. It had ended up being a three-tiered monster of icing and lace, but thankfully, Harry did little more than raise an eyebrow when Eggsy dropped off the order at his office.

Speaking of the wedding planner, things between him and Eggsy had been… remarkably calm. At least, on Harry’s side. He barely said anything more than what was related to the wedding, and he nearly always referred to Eggsy as ‘Mr. Unwin’. Eggsy wondered if his more formal attitude had been because the actual wedding itself was drawing nearer- perhaps distancing himself was Eggsy was some kind of coping mechanism.

Then again, that could simply be wishful thinking on Eggsy’s part.

He sighed, rather audibly, and made quick work of arranging the mannequins. It fucking sucked, it really did. He was getting _married_ in about a month, and all he could think about was his goddamned wedding planner. Who, to be fair, was also his soulmate, but that fact only served to make Eggsy even more annoyed. Fuck the universe and whoever decided to make Eggsy’s life play out like a fucking soap opera.

“Eggsy?”

He nearly jumped out of his skin as James appeared out of nowhere, his usually cheerful voice containing an edge of concern. Indeed, as Eggsy turned around from the display window, he found his supervisor standing with his eyebrows drawn together.

“Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Eggsy smoothly, turning the mannequin around to face the outside. “It’s just, you know. This weddin’ stuff is exhaustin’.”

James nodded slowly, as though he didn’t quite believe Eggsy. “Alright, well… Percy is taking care of our last appointment of the day.”

Eggsy blinked. “Shit. Is it that late already?”

“Half an hour until closing. Since you’ve finished the window display, I was wondering if maybe you’d like to get fitted?”

“For what?”

James chuckled. “Your tux, Eggsy. You know, the suit you’re getting married in?”

“Oh! Oh, shit, right.” Eggsy felt his cheeks burn red. “Sorry.”

“Well?” James tilted his head towards one of the empty rooms. “Won’t be more than a few minutes. We’ll have you home before we lock up.”

“Y-Yeah. Thanks, bruv.”

He started towards the fitting room, James trailing behind him; when they were securely inside, James grabbed the measuring tape from the side table as Eggsy shrugged off his blazer.

Eggsy’d been fitted before, though only as a practical demonstration by Percival. He still couldn’t really afford a full bespoke suit on his own, even though Percival and James had offered a discount just for him. It didn’t seem like something he’d spend money on, since his three formal blazers and a few dress shirts and pants were enough to satisfy Kingsman’s dress code needs.

Still, since the wedding tux was being offered free of charge, Eggsy obediently held up his arms when James asked, and kept still as the tailor did his work.

“So,” James said suddenly, from over Eggsy’s shoulder. “Are you going to tell me what’s really going on with you, or am I going to have to grab those needles and start sticking you for information?”

Eggsy tensed- partly because James had been more observant than he’d hoped, and partly because the threat was credible from the man. He forced himself to breathe evenly when he replied.

“I told you, James, it’s just the weddin’.”

“ _I’ve_ planned a wedding before, Eggs. Neither Percival nor I were ever quite as… withdrawn as you’ve been lately. What is it?” James frowned. “Is everything okay with you and Charlie?”

“What? Yeah, ‘course, everythin’s fine! Look, James…” Eggsy opened his mouth to speak further, to offer some kind of excuse for his behavior, but when his eyes met James’ in the mirror, and all he saw was the pure, undiluted worry in the older man’s expression, he faltered. He sighed, hanging his head and dropping his arms. James stepped back and waited expectantly.

“It’s just… You know Charlie and I, we ain’t soulmates.”

“Yes, I know,” nodded James. “Are you apprehensive about that? Plenty of non-soulmate marriages have worked out in the past.”

“Not any I’ve heard of,” Eggsy groused, scowling bitterly into the mirror, earning a look of surprise from James.

“Eggsy?”

“… You know Harry, right? He was engaged. To a non-soulmate partner.”

Slowly, James resumed his work, though his eyes remained trained on Eggsy’s face in the mirror. “I know. He came to Kingsman for his suit. That’s how Percy and I met him.”

“Look at him now, though. He ain’t with her; they didn’t even get to the ceremony.”

“I always wondered about that. Can I ask how you found all this out, though?”

Eggsy was quiet. “… Harry told me about it.”

“Harry’s not really to sort to volunteer personal information like that,” said James, concerned.

“Yeah, well,” snorted the younger man, “he owed me a fuckin’ explanation.” He didn’t meet James’ eyes, but he didn’t have to in order to feel his inquisitive stare grow even stronger. So Eggsy added, rather quietly, “Harry’s my soulmate, James.”

Abruptly, James dropped the measuring tape, his mouth propped open with shock.

“He’s your _what?”_

“Soulmate,” repeated Eggsy, who was now smiling mirthlessly at his reflection. “Met him ‘bout four years ago under some… really weird circumstances. But long story short, he turned me away ‘cause he was already engaged, and I made up some bullshit about not believin’ in the whole soulmate thin’ anyhow.”

“Eggsy,” James said, after a long moment of silence had passed between them. “I… I am so sorry. If we’d known, we would have never-!”

“It ain’t your fault,” he said quickly. “Charlie and my mum were the only ones I ever told about Harry. And, well, Roxy knows now, of course.”

“Are you alright?” James asked next. “I mean… Harry is taking over for Roxy temporarily, isn’t he? How are you and Charlie handling this?”

“I think we’ve been handlin’ it pretty well, considerin’ we ran into Charlie’s soulmate at the hotel last week.”

“… _Fucking hell,_ Eggsy!”

“I know,” he grimaced. He finally turned around to physically face James, letting the weariness show on his features. “Everythin’s a right mess, it is. I’ve been tellin’ myself that I could handle bein’ around Harry, but he’s so fuckin’ calm about us- it’s like he doesn’t even care! And then I feel even worse ‘cause I shouldn’t be feelin’ anythin’ for him!” A hand came up to run through his blonde hair, gripping at the locks desperately. “He didn’t want me. And now I’m engaged to a guy who honestly _does_ want me, but I can’t fuckin’ look at Charlie without feelin’ guilty.”

“Eggsy…” There was nothing in James’s tone but pure sadness. No contempt or disgust towards Eggsy, and that made the young man feel better, if only slightly. “What are you going to do?”

“Nothin’,” Eggsy shrugged. “I mean, can’t do anythin’, can I? I got my answers from Harry. I don’t want anythin’ else from him but his help in plannin’ the weddin’.”

“But-!” James faltered. “He’s your _soulmate,_ Eggsy, that has to affect you more than you’re saying.”

“Doesn’t matter.” Eggsy shoved his hands in his pockets. The fitting, it seemed, was entirely forgotten by that point. “I ain’t about to run out on Charlie. His soulmate already broke his heart, I ain’t puttin’ him through that a second time. ‘Sides, it’d be for nothin’.”

James sighed. “Do you love him?” he asked simply, giving Eggsy a pointed look.

“What?”

“Charlie. Do you love him?”

“Of course I do. James, what kinda question is that-?”

“Are you _in love_ with him?”

Eggsy paused. “I…” He trailed off, gaze dropping to the floor.

Was he? He liked being around him, yeah, and they had a lot in common. But then, he realized, with gut-clenching clarity, that aside from the kissing and sex, he and Charlie’s interactions were fairly similar to those Eggsy had with his other friends. But just because he wasn’t _in love_ didn’t mean they couldn’t make things work… did it? He certainly wasn’t in love with Harry… Though that was only because he didn’t know the man too well. Perhaps, if given time…

 _No!_ Eggsy’s mind scolded harshly. _For fuck’s sake, Unwin, get it together!_

“Eggsy,” the tailor stepped forwards, interrupting Eggsy’s inner monologue and gripping him by the shoulders. He stared intently at his employee’s face. “You know Percy and I care about you. You’re like… well, a son to us. And Charlie is a nice young man. We want you both to be happy.”

“We… We will be. We were happy before, we’ll be fine afterwards.” Once Harry and Digby are forever erased from their memories, his mind added ruefully.

“Are you sure? Marriage is a big step, my boy, and if there’s even the slightest hint of doubt-!”

“We’ll be fine,” Eggsy said, more firmly this time. He was beginning to get more than a little annoyed, despite James’s good intentions. “I appreciate your concern, James, I really do. But me and Charlie have been there for each other, yeah? When our soulmates were fuck-knows-where. We don’t need ‘em,” he whispered, but his breath caught on the last word, and he realized his eyes were burning with unshed tears. “Fuck.” He hurriedly wiped his sleeve across his eyes, trying to save face, though James was regarding him with sympathy.

“… If you’re sure,” the tailor said at last. He stepped aside to let Eggsy out of the fitting room; the young man quickly made his way out, but James’s voice stopped him in the door way.

“Eggsy?”

He didn’t turn his head. “What?”

“I just want you to remember… You _do_ make sacrifices for love. But you need to be sure you’re making the _right_ sacrifices.”

Eggsy’s eyebrows knitted together. The fuck did that mean? He wasn’t sacrificing anything he hadn’t already lost four years ago. How could he be making the wrong choice when Charlie was his only option?

“… Yeah,” he said at last. “Alright. G’night, James.”

“Goodnight, Eggsy.”

Eggsy had never run out of Kingsman so quickly.

 

* * *

 

The rest of the week wasn’t much better. James kept watching Eggsy, as if looking for some sort of sign of mental trauma, and it was putting Eggsy more on edge than the wedding. Percival, at least, didn’t regard him any differently, which meant that James had kept their conversation between them. Eggsy was grateful for that, at least; he really couldn’t handle Percival’s worrying on top of his husband’s.

To make matters worse, Eggsy was currently on his way to Harry’s _home._

According to Roxy (who was feeling much better, but apparently Merlin was so much of a mother hen that she was stuck in bed until her fever had _completely_ dissipated), it was recommended that he and Charlie make a ‘playlist’ for the wedding. There wasn’t going to be a band, so a DJ was the next best thing. But since it was to be a small wedding anyway, she said that they could make a playlist of their own and that would be perfectly acceptable.

Well, they’d done so, though it was mostly Eggsy’s mum who picked out the songs. Charlie had merely gone over the list and murmured his approval, while Eggsy made but one contribution, and they’d all decided that the song he picked was going to be their first dance. Unfortunately, the one day Eggsy had off from Kingsman was the one day Charlie had to go in for his own work, and so Eggsy had to go and meet Harry on his own to go over the playlist. Worse yet, Harry’s work computer was still busted, for reasons no one was apparently aware of, so he’d invited Eggsy to bring his laptop over to his home to review it.

And he’d said it so _casually,_ damn him.

Charlie was, understandably, worried. Eggsy’s mum was actually still unaware that Mr. Hart was _Harry Hart,_ the name on his son’s body, so she didn’t quite understand why Charlie was so upset. Eggsy figured it was better that way, since he was absolutely _done_ with people fretting about him like his emotions were made of glass. So he’d given Charlie a reassuring kiss, and set off with his laptop in his bag, taking the car over to the directions Harry had provided via e-mail.

(Why the fuck couldn’t he just email the fucking thing to him, Eggsy wanted to scream, but Roxy had said that Harry preferred doing things face-to-face, because of course he fucking did.)

Eventually, Eggsy began to recognize the rows of houses lining the street, though they were now in broad daylight instead of illuminated by the streetlamps. He bit down a grimace and parked the car in front of a very familiar house with a wrought-iron gate. Eggsy stared at the steering wheel for about five minutes, trying to gather his thoughts, when his brain simply went ‘fuck it’ and he got out.

Harry answered the door mere moments after Eggsy knocked; he smiled politely at his client- that’s all Eggsy was at that point, his traitorous mind thought bitterly- and stepped aside to let him in. Harry was dressed remarkably casually, forgoing the trademark bespoke suit with a soft-looking sweater and worn jeans. Eggsy swallowed the lump in his throat and all but shoved his laptop at Harry.

“I wouldn’t trust me with this,” the wedding planner said, amusedly, as he gently pushed the device back towards Eggsy. “I’m sure you’ve heard how I am with technology.”

Eggsy let out a small breath. “It’s the twenty-first century, mate.”

“So Merlin keeps telling me. Please,” he gestured further inside the house. He led Eggsy towards the living room, and had him sit on the ridiculously plush upholstered sofa. Eggsy shifted uncomfortably as he looked around the room- it wasn’t particularly ostentatious, but it was gorgeous enough to be clear that he and Harry lived in two completely separate worlds. Harry noticed his discomfort.

“It’s not much changed, since the last time you were here,” he offered, smiling easily at the young lad.

“Well, to be fair, I never got past your kitchen,” Eggsy responded, relaxing only marginally.

Harry chuckled and sat next to Eggsy- not too close, but not exactly the opposite end of the sofa, either. “At least you aren’t injured this time.”

Eggsy was quiet.

“Something wrong?” asked Harry, now frowning.

“It’s just…” Eggsy sighed. “This is weird, innit? This is where we… y’know.” He stared down at his laptop. “And now we’re talking about my wedding to some other bloke.”

Understanding lit up in Harry’s eyes, and he finally looked a bit uncomfortable as well. “I… Yes, well… Life is strange, Mr. Unwin.” And that was it.

They sat in the most awkward silence in recorded history, until Eggsy worked up the nerve to open his laptop and bring up the playlist. Harry, grateful for the distraction, read the songs off with a neutral expression. At least until he saw one particular number.

“Moon River?”

“The Audrey Hepburn version,” Eggsy said automatically, willing down a blush.

To his surprise, Harry smiled. “Ah. A _Breakfast at Tiffany’s_ fan, are you?”

“I just really like Audrey Hepburn,” he admitted, biting his bottom lip. “Actually… I wanted ‘I Could Have Danced All Night,’ but mum didn’t think it was a good first dance song.” He glanced over and was startled to find Harry smiling _at him._ “What?” he asked, defensively.

“I’m sorry,” said Harry, looking away but still smiling. “But I never would have expected you to be a Hepburn fan, of all things.”

Eggsy’s attempts to tamp down his blush were ruined, and his cheeks were rosy with embarrassment. “Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that, is there?”

“Of course not. I quite enjoy _Roman Holiday,_ myself.”

Figures Harry would have picked the movie with one of the most bittersweet endings in cinema. But Eggsy didn’t say as much, opting instead for, “Pretty romantic movie. Didn’t think you were that type.”

It was meant to be a teasing statement, a parry for Harry’s earlier remarks, but instead, it came out as breathless.

“I _am_ a wedding planner, Eggsy,” said Harry dryly. “A bit of romanticism is practically a job requirement.”

And to his surprise, that made Eggsy laugh. He hadn’t even noticed Harry’s slip-up in using his preferred name. Harry was chuckling as well. He reached over and pressed ‘play’, and soon, the sound of Audrey Hepburn’s voice was filling the air.

_“Moon River… wider than a mile. I’m crossin’ you in style someday…”_

“It’s a lovely song,” Harry murmured. “More than worthy of a first dance.”

Eggsy smiled quietly, and they both just sat there, listening to the calming, almost melancholy tune. The younger man turned his head, just to get a quick glance at Harry, and found that the wedding planner was looking at him already. And he seemed closer, too, though whether it was Harry or Eggsy that moved was something they never quite figured out.

But god, was Harry gorgeous. Eggsy’s opinion on that hadn’t changed. And from so close, he could see straight past the thick tortoiseshell glasses, into whiskey-colored eyes that were so mesmerizing. Even if things _had_ worked out, and Harry and Eggsy were happily together, he knew he would still scarcely believe his luck in acquiring such a beautiful man for a soulmate.

He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but no words came out. In fact, the only words they heard were being sung to them via the laptop’s speakers.

_“Two drifters, off to see the world… There’s such a lot of world to see.”_

And then, in a second that seemed to last an eternity, Eggsy moved his head at the same time as Harry. Eggsy’s eyes slipped closed the very moment he felt something warm press against his lips. It was feather-light touch, so much so that ‘chaste’ was even too much to describe it, but it made Eggsy’s head dizzy and stars lit up behind his eyes. He couldn’t see Harry so much as feel him, the soft press of his mouth against his own, but that was enough for Eggsy to forget about everything else in the universe and simply enjoy this one moment.

Then, the song ended.

The now-deafening silence was what caused them to both jolt apart, backing up to the opposite ends of the sofa. Eggsy’s laptop fell to the floor in a loud clatter, but it was the least of the lad’s worries.

“I...” Harry held a hand to his mouth, his eyes wide, as though he’d had no control over himself. “I am so sorry, Eggsy, that was-…” he swallowed. “That shouldn’t have happened.”

Something within Eggsy snapped at that. He suddenly scowled, scooping his laptop off the floor and shutting it with a loud ‘snap’. Harry flinched. Then Eggsy stood.

“No, it shouldn’t have.” Not looking at Harry, Eggsy turned away. “I have to go.”

He missed the flash of hurt that appeared on Harry’s face. But he did hear it in his voice.

“Y… Yes. Of course.”

Eggsy nodded once, and turned on his heel, tearing out of Harry’s house until he was safely back in his car. Harry hadn’t followed him out.

His steering wheel looked up at him mockingly, as if somehow aware of what had transpired minutes ago. Eggsy took several deep breaths, willing his heart to stop beating like a madman with a drum. His lips still tingled pleasantly with warmth, and his blood felt electric. Tears began openly spilling from his eyes, blurring his vision.

“Fuck.” He said to no one. Then, more angrily, “ _Fuck!”_

He’d never felt that way when he kissed _Charlie._ His hand automatically went to his heart, where it felt like his mark was trying to burn through his clothes. It was almost like it was telling him to go back inside and kiss Harry senseless, damn the wedding and everything else. But Eggsy knew better.

He wiped his eyes, started up the car, and sped away from Harry’s house like he was escaping the scene of a crime.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am unsure how you lot are going to respond to this chapter, so I’m going to build myself a bunker and go hide in it.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eggsy is being torn apart by guilt and turbulent emotions, until someone convinces him to talk things out. It... doesn't go as well as they'd hoped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha. Hahaha. 
> 
> art school is kicking my ass you guys

* * *

 

 

By some incredible miracle, Roxy had recovered from her flu two days later, and called both Charlie and Eggsy to let them know she’d be resuming her duties as their wedding planner.

Charlie, as expected, was immensely relieved. Putting up with Harry hadn’t been as bad as he’d thought, he later admitted to Eggsy, as they both sat on the couch in their living room, just after being called by Roxy. He was mainly happy that things didn’t get _too_ awkward.

Upon hearing that, Eggsy wanted nothing more than to go outside, lie on the road, and wait for a car to fucking run him over.

Of course he didn’t tell Charlie what had happened. He didn’t tell _anyone._ How could he? He and Harry _kissed._ Soulmates aside, it didn’t change the fact that Eggsy had essentially cheated on his fiancé. Perhaps not in the dramatic, fall-in-bed kind of way you saw in the movies, but equally heartbreaking and guilt-inducing. Eggsy hadn’t gotten a full night’s rest since it happened. Luckily Charlie didn’t seem to notice.

So instead, Eggsy only smiled and agreed with his fiancé that he was glad to have Roxy back- not that he was being dishonest. Roxy was more than welcome back. He wasn’t sure he ever wanted to look at Harry again, if only because doing so would bring the guilt back crashing on his shoulders.

He almost wondered what the man himself thought of the kiss, before deciding to think as little as possible on Harry Hart.

Roxy asked to meet them at the office the following weekend, so they went and arrived on time, like they always did. She’d apologized once more for her sudden illness, and barely seemed placated by their reassurances that it was fine. As for the wedding itself, well…

Everything was settled.

They had a venue, a cake, food, music, and the invitations were sent and RSVP’d. They’d opted out of a professional photographer, instead letting Eggsy’s friend Ryan take the pictures, and a rehearsal, since it was a small wedding anyway. Percival confirmed that their suits would be done by the end of the week. So then…

In two weeks, Charlie and Eggsy would be married.

There was a weird sort of tension in Eggsy’s stomach, like a combination of relief and dread. On one hand, it would all be over, and he and Charlie could live a life together as far from Harry Hart as conceivably possible. On the other…

That _damn kiss._

Eggsy blinked back into consciousness, vaguely registering the sound of Roxy’s voice as she went over the final details with Charlie, who’d taken charge of the whole thing by that point. He glanced at his fiancé, and then the wedding planner, and was relieved that neither of them noticed him spacing out. Or so he assumed.

“So, all that’s settled, then,” said Roxy, giving a winning smile that didn’t indicate she’d been bed-ridden for a good two weeks. “We’ll do a final check of things a few hours before the ceremony, but… Essentially, we’re done.”

“Thank God,” Charlie muttered, smiling tiredly. “Not that we haven’t appreciated your help, Roxy, but…”

She grinned. “Yes, planning a wedding can be pretty stressful. I sometimes wonder why I chose to make a career of it.”

They both laughed at that, and Eggsy managed a half-smile before they all stood up to leave.

“Oh, Eggsy?”

He and Charlie both paused at the door, looking back at the young woman. “Yeah?”

“Could you stay back a few minutes? There a few details with the suits I wanted to work out, and, well, since you work at Kingsman…” she trailed off, shrugging.

He looked at Charlie, who shrugged.

“I’ll be in the car,” was all he said, and Eggsy nodded.

Soon Charlie left, and he and Roxy were left alone in her office. He sat back down in the chair across from her desk, the chair beside him now empty, and he waited patiently for her to explain whatever it was she needed from him.

What he didn’t expect, however, was a stern- and slightly worried- look from the wedding planner.

“Eggsy, is everything alright?”

He blinked, caught off-guard. “I-… Yeah, Rox, everythin’s great. Why?”

Her gaze became withering, unimpressed. “You were spacing out that entire meeting. And you look like you haven’t slept in _days.”_

Eggsy clenched his fists, twitching slightly in annoyance. Roxy, a woman he’d known for only a few months, could apparently read him better than his boyfriend of almost two years.

“I’m… fine, Roxy,” he bit out. “Just… stressed, is all. Like you said, plannin’ this shit’s a fuckin’ nightmare.”

He’d tried for a joking tone, but it seemed that Roxy was far from convinced. Damn.

“Eggsy,” she began again, voice dropping to a concerned murmur. She leaned over her desk and eyes Eggsy pityingly. “Are things okay with you and Charlie?”

He swallowed thickly. “We’re _fine,_ Roxy. We…” Then Eggsy gave a shuddering sigh. What was the point? He knew bottling things up wasn’t healthy. And, well, yeah, he’d only known Roxy for a few months, but she was the good sort, and he had to tell _someone._

“You… You won’t tell anyone, will you?”

She nodded. “What is it?”

Eggsy took a deep breath. His gaze dropped to his hands, which were clenched into fists on his lap.

“Um… W-When Harry was fillin’ in for you, somethin’… Somethin’ happened.”

Roxy’s brows rose, though she didn’t look surprised. “I thought it would be something like that. Harry’s barely been to the office lately. Though he’s been telling me and Merlin that he’s been conferring with a partner of ours in America.”

Eggsy twitched.

“Yeah, well… I only hope he’s been feelin’ as fuckin’ shit about this as I have,” he spat out, shoulders rising in agitation.

That _did_ surprise Roxy, as she looked at him in alarm. “What happened, exactly?”

No point in prolonging it. “We kissed, Roxy.”

There was a brief moment of silence. Then…

“ _What?”_

Eggsy lifted his eyes to meet hers, his gaze tired, though piercing. “When I dropped the playlist off at his house. I… I don’t know _how_ it happened, but one minute we was listenin’ to one of the songs, then the next we were…” He trailed off. “It was only for, like, a second. Then I bolted from the place. I haven’t told Charlie, obviously, or anyone else.”

“Oh, _Eggsy.”_ Roxy’s voice was tinged with something other than surprise, or sympathy. She sounded… sad? “

“I don’t know what to do, Roxy,” he confessed. He felt the stinging sensation of unshed tears building in his eyes. “I feel terrible about it, because I know I’m marryin’ Charlie in just a few weeks, but at the same time, I can’t stop thinkin’ about it! Which is worse ‘cause I know I mean jack shit to Harry, and I shouldn’t feel this way about someone who pretty much ignored me for four years-!”

“Eggsy!” Roxy said, sharply, cutting off his rapidly-incoherent ramblings. She looked at him severely. He let his shoulders slump in deference. “You need to talk to Harry.”

He sat up, rigid. “But Roxy-!”

“No buts! You’re both adults for God’s sake, not emotionally constipated teenagers! I know _why_ there’s tension between the two of you, but I’m sure if you make things perfectly clear, you’ll feel a lot better about this.”

“And what am I supposed to make clear?” he asked dourly. “I already know why he turned me away.”

“And are you satisfied with that?” she persisted. “There’s absolutely nothing else you’d ask him if you could?”

“I…”

There was one thing.

Sensing that she’d gotten her point across, Roxy gave him a small smile. “He should be home now, I think. If you want to get it over with.”

Eggsy nodded quietly, moving to stand up from his chair. He’d only just remembered that Charlie was still waiting for him back in the car.

“Thanks, Rox,” he whispered.

“Don’t mention it,” she replied. “Just… remember something for me, Eggsy?” He waited, so she went on. “You’re not the only victim. I’ve known Harry for years, and I know this can’t be any easier for him. It practically violates every code of ‘manners’ and ‘workplace ethics’ he has. Just… listen to what he has to say, alright?”

Eggsy’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t try to argue with Roxy. It was the least he could do, he supposed. It would all depend on what Harry actually said, though; if he even wanted to speak with Eggsy at all.

She sighed, and Eggsy took that as his cue to leave.

 

* * *

 

 

Only an hour after returning to the apartment, Eggsy was outside Harry Hart’s house once again. He’d told Charlie he was going to see his mum and sister, and he prayed silently for forgiveness to whatever entity was listening for using them as his alibi, but… If things went well, Charlie didn’t ever have to know about it.

But that was a big ‘if’.

Steeling himself, he knocked on the door of the house with one hand before sticking it back into his jacket pocket. A few seconds passed, and then he heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

The door swung open, revealing Harry, once again dressed far more casually than his usual three-piece suits and oxfords. But this time, instead of a sweater and jeans, the man was still in his _pajamas,_ soft blue silk and a fucking _maroon robe._ He even had black slipper on, for God’s sake.

Eggsy valiantly kept his composure, even as Harry lost his, his eyes going wide at the sight of his soulmate on the other side of the threshold.

“Eg- Mr. Unwin?”

Eggsy lifted his chin. “We need to talk.”

Dumbly, Harry could only step aside as Eggsy barged in, and close the door behind him with the same look of shock. They both stood in the entryway of Harry’s home, and it was deathly quiet.

Eggsy turned and stared him straight in the eye. Harry shifted his weight from one leg to the other, clearly uncomfortable. After a few moments, the wedding planner opened his mouth.

“Mr. Unwin, I am so sorry about what happened-“

Eggsy fought the urge to roll his eyes, cutting him off instead. “Harry, seriously. We were both at fault, yeah?”

He was quiet. “… I suppose, yes.”

Eggsy nodded, and took a step closer. “Alright, so… Look. Shit’s awkward as fuck between us. And we both know why.”

“I thought we had cleared things up,” frowned Harry, to which Eggsy scoffed.

“Bruv, we’re _soulmates_. You don’t just ‘clear that up’.”

“I gave you my reasons-“

“Yeah, yeah,” he waved his hand, not wishing to dwell on it. “You was engaged. I fuckin’ know. But… you said your engagement ended three months after we met, right?”

“… Yes?”

The younger man took a deep breath, his chest feeling incredibly tight.

“Harry, I lived without you for four years.” His façade started to crack, and he looked hurt. “ _Four years._ And not _once_ did you come and find me. I get that that lady, whoever she was, probably broke your heart and some shit, but did you ever think of me at _all_ after her?”

He knew it sounded selfish. It probably _was_ selfish. But he needed to get all of this out, in the open. Every single torrid emotion he’d felt over the past four years was going to smack Harry in the gut, whether he wanted them or not.

Harry was still frowning at him, his brows furrowed. He didn’t look upset, per se, more… torn.

“… Do you want the truth, Eggsy?”

He answered resolutely. “Yes.”

Harry regarded him silently for a moment. Then, in a low, steady voice, too steady to be natural, “Of course I did.” He looked almost incredulous to even be saying it. “Even before she broke things off, Eggsy, I couldn’t get you out of my mind. Your name is fucking _branded_ on me, for god’s sake.”

That certainly wasn’t the answer Eggsy’d been expecting. He was expecting Harry to say that he didn’t look for him, that he didn’t _care._ That would have made this so much easier.

“Then why didn’t you-?”

He was cut off by an almost fervent Harry.

“I _tried_ to find you. A year after my engagement ended, and I accepted the fact that it was for the best, I tried to see you again. But I couldn’t, Eggsy. No matter where I looked, I couldn’t find ‘Gary Unwin’ anywhere. No jobs, no family… It was like you never even existed.”

That made Eggsy pause. By the time he and Harry met, his name wasn’t _technically_ Gary ‘Unwin’. His mum had married Dean by then, so on all legal documents and records, he would have been listed as Gary ‘Baker’. Of course, once he was old enough to have it legally changed back, Harry must have given up his search. It really made one wonder how the whole name thing even worked for soulmates, but either way, it was a stunning revelation.

Harry took his silence as some sort of accusation, and he continued tiredly.

“Eventually, I resigned myself to the idea of never seeing you again. I thought I’d missed my opportunity. I even thought... I’d imagined our meeting. But your name was always there to remind me that it happened. Perhaps you were better off without me, anyway,” he finished, with a wry smile.

Eggsy quickly got over his stupor and balked. “ _Better off?_ ” he repeated, unbelieving.

“Soulmate or not, you’d have to live with the stigma of having an older partner. I’m old enough to be your father, after all,” he explained.

Eggsy stared at Harry for a long while, before a smile cracked on his face and he started to laugh. Harry scowled, torn between concerned and annoyed.

“Have I said something funny?”

Eggsy held a hand to his forehead, running his fingers through his hair. “You think I was better off without ya? That my life was peachy-keen with you not in it?”

Harry didn’t respond, though his questioning gaze spurred Eggsy to go on.

“It _wasn’t_ , Harry,” he smiled hollowly. “I was a rentboy.”

Harry’s reaction gratified the younger man. His jaw had dropped open, and his eyes were almost comically large. “You were _what?”_

As nonchalantly as he could manage, he shrugged. “Yeah. Money was tight in our family, especially after my baby sis was born. And I couldn’t hold a decent job to save my life. So I let blokes fuck me for money.”

But instead of looking disgusted or outraged, Harry only seemed distraught.

“… Does-...” he hesitated. “Does Mr. Hesketh know?”

Eggsy gave a bark of laughter at that, and Harry cringed. “Mate, he was a fuckin’ regular!”

The wedding planner seemed suitably scandalized. “ _What?”_

Eggsy leveled him with a steady look. “He paid to fuck me. And now he’s my fiance. Life’s strange, innit?” He took another step, so he and Harry were only three feet from each other. “Anyway, point is, my life was a fuckin’ shit show. And before Charlie came into the picture, I spent everyday wonderin’ what would’ve happened if you hadn’t turned me away.”

“Eggsy, I…” Harry’s voice broke. “I’m so sorry. If I’d have known…”

Abruptly, the younger man stepped back, glancing down. “Past is past, now, innit? I made it out just fine without you.” Roxy’s advice to go easy on Harry was nagging at the back of his brain, but he was so full of so many different emotions that he pushed it aside. “I’m marryin’ a man who actually gives a shit about me.”

And maybe that was too far. Harry looked _hurt._ Eggsy almost stepped forward again to see if he was okay.

“… Yes, you…” Then he’d looked up, forcing on a smile. “You’re a remarkable person, Eggsy. Mr. Hesketh is very lucky indeed.”

Eggsy frowned. “That all you got to say? I’m ‘remarkable’?”

“What else do you want?” he said back, tired. “I missed my opportunity, I acknowledge that. But I’m not about to get on my knees and beg for you to give me a second chance. I know when I’ve lost.” Harry’s fists clenched at his sides. “I do have _some_ semblance of pride left. And you’ve made it clear that you wouldn’t accept me, anyway.”

They looked at each other, locked in some sort of intense staring contest, until Eggsy swallowed hard and looked away.

“Alright then.”

“Alright.”

Now having what he came there for, Eggsy walked past Harry to get to the door. He didn’t feel better or worse. Just… numb. He paused just as his hand hovered over the knob.

“Harry?” he murmured.

The wedding planner’s voice was equally quiet. “Yes?”

“What if you hadn’t been engaged when we met?” he asked. “What would we be then?”

There was a long pause; Eggsy thought for a moment that perhaps Harry had simply turned and left. But after that thought passed his head, Harry spoke.

“… I don’t know, Eggsy.” Another pause. “But it doesn’t matter now, does it?”

The younger man grit his teeth together and glared at the door.

“… Nah. Guess not.”

Eggsy opened the door, and left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah. That last exchange was something I wrote a long time ago, when I was drafting the outline of this story. It feels so weird to finally have it published.
> 
> There's only a couple or so more chapters left, guys. Next up is the wedding and more heart-rending bullshit.
> 
> :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wedding looms, but instead of excitement, there's only an air of tension and dread.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I teared up a little writing this chapter
> 
> also it's like one in the morning here, please tell me if I made any mistakes

The days passed in a blur. Despite having everything arranged and settled, Roxy had everyone running rampant, doing double-checks and triple-checks, ensuring that every conceivable mishap had a solution, and that nothing would ruin what was meant to be Charlie and Eggsy’s ‘special day’.

Incidentally, Roxy had given Eggsy _far_ more to do than Charlie, which he figured was his punishment for giving Harry a much harder time than he’d promised her. The wedding planner must have been pretty affected by their last conversation, if Roxy was being so protective and exacting revenge on Eggsy. Even Merlin, from what little Eggsy had seen of him since that day, eyed him with narrowed eyes and a pursed scowl. It was getting to the point that Charlie had noticed, but when he tried to bring it up, Eggsy had only shrugged it off.

“Maybe it’s just ‘cause the weddin’s gettin’ close,” he lied. “Stress, innit?”

He didn’t know if Charlie bought it or not, but his fiancé didn’t bring it up again, so Eggsy counted that as a win.

And on the subject of Harry, Eggsy hadn’t seen him once since leaving his house in an angry huff.  That was good. No more distraction. Even though Eggsy was constantly thinking about him, actually feeling a bit guilty over the things he’d said. But _damn it,_ wasn’t he allowed to be angry? Harry’s behavior shouldn’t have been excused solely on the basis of them being soulmates. That isn’t how things should work. But… Maybe Eggsy _was_ a bit meaner than he ought to have been.

Anyway… Point is, Eggsy was actually glad for all the assignments Roxy was giving him. They were a good distraction. By the time he’d quadruple-checked everything, he was so exhausted that Harry could barely occupy his thoughts.

And then, miraculously, the weekend of the wedding arrived.

He and Charlie left the apartment early, drove to Charlie’s uncle’s house, and… well, waited. It was weird, not having anything to do. It felt like there was a million more things they should have checked, but in reality, all they had to wait for the time to pass. James and Percival were going to drop off the suits before the wedding, and the guests weren’t going to arrive until later. It was… not quite peaceful, But tense.

And being stuck alone in an empty house with your already quite suspicious fiancé was not exactly a recipe for a good time.

“Eggsy.”

He didn’t even flinch when Charlie said his name. He remained seated on the rather sumptuous king-sized bed, in what was meant to be their ‘honeymoon suite’, and kept his gaze on the large window overlooking the grassy fields.

“What?”

He felt the bed dip beside him. “We need to talk.”

“Well, when has that phrase not preceded anythin’ terrible?” he tried joking, but evidently, Charlie was having none of it.

“You’ve been acting… strange lately. Distant. I thought maybe it was the stress and, well, Harry, but… We’re going to get married _tomorrow,_ Eggsy.” Charlie’s voice dropped to an almost inaudible murmur. “You need to tell me if you’re having any… doubts.”

That made Eggsy turn around. To his horror, Charlie looked utterly resigned, as if he was _expecting_ a rejection, _expecting_ Eggsy to just up and say that he’d changed his mind about getting married. Like he was ready to get his heart broken again. Eggsy scooted closer to him, face anxious.

“What? Charlie, no! We _are_ getting married, okay? I just… Things have been so fuckin’ crazy lately, I just… I just want it all to be over.”

Charlie only looked mildly appeased, but he gave a soft smile nonetheless. “It will be. Tomorrow. We’ll be husbands, and then we’ll never go to another wedding for as long as we live.”

Eggsy let out a small chuckle. He rested his head on Charlie shoulder, and they sat together in a contemplative silence. “Yeah. Fuck weddings, bruv. We shoulda eloped.”

“Your mother would have killed us.”

“Yeah… Daisy too, probably.”

Charlie’s arm came around the small of Eggsy’s back. “But you’re sure?” he continued, voice suddenly small all over again. “You really want to do this?”

“Why do you keep askin’?” Eggsy asked, lifting his head.

His fiancé shrugged half-heartedly. “I just thought… Maybe, with Harry around, you might’ve…”

“Oh.” Eggsy slumped, feeling yet another wave of guilt wash over him. “Charlie, I… I gotta tell you somethin’.”

“What is it?”

“Harry and I…” He took a deep breath and sat upright, staring directly into Charlie’s- slightly worried- eyes. “We kissed.”

Charlie’s jaw dropped open. “You _what-?!”_

Instantly, Eggsy held his hands up, as if attempting to curb the oncoming shitstorm. “I know! I know, that sounds fuckin’ awful, and it… It was, and I am so, so sorry it happened.”

“Eggsy,” Charlie snarled, moving away from the bed and standing up. “How the fuck could you-!” Then he blinked, as if thinking of something. “Did he do it? Did he force himself on you-?”

“What? God, no!” The very thought of Harry Hart doing something _like that_ was, well… It didn’t sit right with Eggsy. “Look, I- I don’t know _why_ or _how_ it happened, but I got the fuck outta there as soon as possible.”

“And you didn’t tell me right away? The wedding is fucking _tomorrow!”_

“Because it didn’t change anythin’!” he shouted back. “All it did was prove how wrong for each other we were. Harry is…” He grit his teeth. “He means nothin’ to me.”

“How am I supposed to believe you, Eggsy?” Charlie asked. His expression was pained. “After all this?”

Eggsy got off the bed slowly, until he was standing directly in front of his fiancé. “Cause I’m here, now. We’re gettin’ married tomorrow, and I _want_ it to happen. I really do feel fuckin’ terrible about it all, Charlie.”

Charlie didn’t respond. He just kept staring at Eggsy, searching his face for any other hidden secrets. Eggsy took another step closer, growing desperate.

“It was one kiss, Charlie, and barely even that. You’re…” His voice broke, and his gaze dropped to the floor. “You’re more than that; you’re my best friend. I don’t want to lose you.”

He heard Charlie’s sharp inhale, and felt him step forward. “Just… tell me something?”

His eyes snapped back up to meet Charlie’s. “What?”

“Did Harry reject you again? Did he turn you away after that kiss?”

Eggsy’s brow furrowed. “… No. I did that before he had the chance.”

“… Why?”

“’Cause I ain’t lettin’ anythin’ break your heart again, Charlie. Especially not me.”

Things were quiet again, at least until Charlie broke the silence with a heavy sigh. He pulled Eggsy into his arms, hugging him loosely. Eggsy let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding and held on tight to the taller man’s jacket.

“What did I do to deserve you?” he wonder absently, murmuring the words into Eggsy’s hair. Eggsy wasn’t sure if he meant that positively or not. He just buried himself further into the embrace, ignoring the clawing guilt and anxiety that was quickly threatening to rip his apart.

He just had to last one more day, he reminded himself. One more day, and then everything- the wedding, Roxy and Merlin, _Harry-_ it would all be over and done with.

As long as he stayed together until then, everything would be fine.

 

* * *

 

 

They retired early that night, silently resting in each other’s arms until the morning came. Then the sun rose on their wedding day, and it seemed as though an even heavier atmosphere than the day before had settled over the couple.

They drove over to the hotel to greet Eggsy’s family, who were meant to be checking in early. But as they walked into the lobby, they were met with an unexpected sight.

Michelle and Daisy were there, with Dean absolutely nowhere in sight, but that wasn’t the surprising part. Michelle was engaged in a conversation with both Roxy and Merlin, while Daisy was currently speaking quite excitedly to _Harry._ And the man was smiling at her every word, obviously already fond of the girl.

Eggsy froze, and he felt Charlie tense up beside him, which is of course when Michelle spotted them both and waved them over with her happily oblivious smile. They had no choice but to approach.

Luckily, Daisy realized her brother was in the vicinity and abruptly broke off her conversation with Harry, choosing to instead scream Eggsy’s name and run up to him, arms outstretched. Eggsy allowed a smile to break on his face- his little sister was always good to cheer him up, even when he couldn’t possibly feel worse.

“Hello, my Dais!” he cooed at her, scooping her easily into his arms. It had been too long since he held her; between the wedding and everything else, he’d barely gotten to spend time with his family. “Well, don’t you look beautiful!”

Daisy beamed, preening her navy blue princess dress, specially picked out by herself. “It’s chiffon,” she said smartly.

Eggsy raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And where’d ya learn that?”

She giggled and raised her arm to point at- who the fuck else- _Harry._ “Mr. Hart said!”

Eggsy glanced uncertainly at the wedding planner, only to find the older man studiously checking his phone. Merlin was standing beside him, looking concerned, and Roxy was watching Eggsy and co. with her arms crossed over her chest.

Michelle, blissfully unaware of the tension, walked up to them, greeting her son with a peck on the cheek, and her future son-in-law with a tight hug.

“Oh, can you believe it?” she gushed, taking Daisy out of Eggsy’s arms and seating the little girl on her hip. “It’s the big day! How are you two feeling?”

“Er…” Eggsy put on his best smile, but it was Charlie who answered for the both of them.

“As you’d expect. Nervous as hell.”

Michelle laughed at that. “Everythin’ will be fine, luvs. At least you’ve got this crack team of planners behind ya.” She turned and grinned at the trio behind them, and to Roxy’s credit, she did give the woman a genuine smile in return. When Michelle turned back to the boys, her smile returned to its previous, calculating look. “Wish I had them when I married your dad, Eggs. Would’ve saved him a world of panic.”

“Erm, Mum?” Eggsy interrupted, _really_ not wanting to talk anymore about his ‘crack team of planners’. “Where’s, uh, Dean?”

“Oh.” Michelle deflated instantly, making her son cringe. “He… parked the car, and then told me he’d come around later.”

“He found the hotel bar,” Charlie deduced, making a face.

“He won’t make a scene!” insisted Michelle. “And he’ll behave himself for the weddin’, too.” Daisy looked confusedly between the adults, so Michelle quickly changed tracks. “Anyway, I’m sure there’s still a lot you two need to do. I’ll let you get to it.”

She turned to leave, her and Daisy waving a goodbye to the wedding planners- well, Roxy and Merlin at least. Harry was still staring at his phone, unwilling to look up. Once she’d walked away from the group, it was evident that the lobby was fairly packed, but it seemed as though the five of them were the only people there. Eggsy was perfectly willing to stand in place until one of the planners moved, but then he heard Charlie take a deep breath beside him.

Next thing he knew, his fiancé turned on his heel and was marching resolutely towards the trio. Eggsy stared after him for a few seconds before he stumbled to follow.

“Miss Morton,” he greeted, with false politeness. She returned it with an equally strained smile. Charlie turned to Merlin and nodded at him, too; the bald man did little more than jerk his head down once in acknowledgement. Then Charlie’s eyes landed on Harry, who had finally put away his phone, but still looked like he’d rather be anywhere else than in that lobby.

Charlie’s tone held the same, even tone he’d used with Roxy, but Eggsy could definitely sense the underlying anger. “Mr. Hart. What are you doing here?”

Harry coughed and shifted uncomfortably. “Business. Needed to… sort some things out with Roxanne and Merlin.”

“Business,” Charlie repeated, still smiling. “Are you staying for the ceremony?”

Harry flinched at the word. “No… I’ll uh, be leaving shortly before it begins. My… apologies.”

Eggsy kept his eyes on the ground, though he felt a strange sensation, as though Harry had finally decided to look at him; he didn’t dare confirm.

“Oh, it’s quite alright,” Charlie went on. “After all, it might be a bit crowded.”

“R-Right…”

“Charlie,” Eggsy whispered urgently, tugging on his fiancé’s sleeve. He’d seen Roxy’s eye twitch and Merlin’s jaw clench; not to mention the utterly pain-stricken expression Harry was trying so valiantly to hide. He needed to get Charlie out of there, for all of their sakes. “Come on. We’ve gotta get ready.”

Charlie paused, looking down at Eggsy for a moment. Something unreadable, almost angry, passed in his eyes, before he relented. Without another glance at the planners, he looped an arm around Eggsy’s waist and began walking away. Eggsy, however, peaked out of the corner of his eye to look back.

Merlin had turned to Harry, whispering something with a concerned expression on his face, while Roxy was rubbing tiredly at her eyes. But Harry… Harry was watching them leave. When Eggsy’s gaze met his, though, he glanced down, shoulders rising with a deep breath, and Eggsy turned away before he could see him exhale.

He suppressed a groan; so far, the ‘happiest day of his life’ was shaping up to be the shittiest.

 

* * *

 

 

Two hours managed to pass without another incident. Eggsy and Charlie busied themselves with the usual wedding business; checking and re-checking, fixing the decorations, and greeting their guests, all back at Charlie’s uncle’s house.

Michelle and Daisy were relaxing in their hotel room, so Eggsy wasn’t worried about them. And knowing Dean, if he did indeed locate the bar, he wasn’t likely to leave until the sun went down. Roxy, Merlin, and Harry came to the house later; as wedding planner, Roxy was practically required to attend, if only to see things go smoothly. Merlin, as her husband, was likewise mandated, but Harry’s continued presence startled Eggsy a bit. They’d all vanished from the couple’s viewpoint within ten minutes, though, so he opted to focus on other things. Like the impending arrival of the other guests.

To his surprise, Ryan and Jamal were the next ones to show up- usually they came along later to affairs like weddings- and they greeted Eggsy with all their typical grace and subtlety. Which is to say, none at all.

“Couldn’t risk bein’ late for our best bruv’s big day, yeah?” Jamal grinned, elbowing Eggsy with a jovial energy the groom only wished he could match. Ryan merely held aloft his camera and flashed Eggsy a thumbs-up, which he returned with a shaky smile.

Numerous other guests started to pour in, wishing the couple all the traditional wedding bests. The house was starting to fill with all manner of people, mostly from Eggsy’s side. Then, Percival and James finally arrived.

James wasted no time with a formal greeting, instead choosing to sweep the shorter groom into a bear hug. Eggsy laughed breathlessly (literally), and Percival scolded his soulmate to let go of him, or else Charlie would be a widower before he even got married. He’d responded by letting go and giving the bear hug to Charlie instead.

They’d brought the suits, of course, and when they were finally released from James’s vice-like grip, Eggsy and Charlie went to go change. Separately, of course; they went to rooms of the opposite sides of the house, because while neither one of them would admit to being the bride, some wedding traditions just had to stick.

Eggsy trudged through the house, which was definitely more manor than anything, since it had already been five minutes and he was only halfway to his pre-determined changing room. He sighed, adjusting the Kingsman-issue suit box tucked under his arm. The ceremony was in an hour and a half, and he already felt so drained. He and his fiancé had an enormous argument the day before, his drunk fuck of a stepdad was nowhere to be seen, his wedding planner and her husband both hated him, and to top it all off, his soulmate was in the same house Eggsy was supposed to be getting married in.

Eggsy gripped the box tighter and willed his feet to go faster, when he suddenly heard voices, coming from one of the rooms up ahead. And he recognized them- he hadn’t known Merlin long, but he’d know that Scottish accent anywhere by then.

“For god’s sake, Harry!” the Scotsman yelled, causing Eggsy to stop dead in his tracks. The young man, almost unwillingly, backed up against the wall right beside the door, which was left ajar.

He heard Harry- because who else could it have been?- sigh. “Merlin, for the last time, this is ridiculous.”

There was shuffling, and then a grunt.

“Let me pass, Merlin,” Harry said, sounding dangerous.

“Not until you admit it.”

“What good will that do?” he retorted. “You saw him, how he ignored me. What’s the point in admitting anything anymore?”

Merlin responded, sounding… pained. “You _love him,_ Harry. I know you do. And being here is _killing_ you.”

There was silence. Eggsy held a hand to his mouth, if only to keep the strangled gasp that threatened to escape him inside.

“… Harry,” Merlin sighed. “I’m your best friend. I was there for you when you got that boy’s name on your chest. I was there when you met him again. I’m here for you _now._ Just… don’t lie to me.”

More silence. Then, in a soft voice Eggsy could barely hear, Harry replied.

“I deserve this.”

“ _How?”_ asked Merlin, horrified. _“_ Harry, how on earth do you deserve _this?_ How is Eggsy _that_ important?”

“We’re soulmates, Merlin,” Harry said. He chuckled dismally. “How could he not be that important?”

“Harry…”

“You don’t know what he had to go through because of me. I could have made things better for him. Soulmate or not, I should have realized that he needed me and done something to help. But I didn’t, I just… walked away from him, and... this is my punishment.”

A pause. Eggsy found himself leaning in closer to hear better.

“… Harry, you have to talk to him.”

Harry snorted derisively. “Absolutely not. I think our last ‘discussion’ ended things rather sufficiently. He’s set upon marrying Mr. Hesketh, and I… I shall remain as I am, indefinitely.”

The Scotsman groaned. “Why are you such a self-loathing piece of _shit,_ Harry?”

Harry’s response was, at best, nonchalant. “It’s how I’ve always been. Perhaps it’s for the best that Eggsy never got to see that side of me.”

“That boy,” Merlin growled suddenly, “has done nothing but hurt you!”

“That _boy,”_ Harry bit back, equally ferocious, startling Eggsy, “has been equally hurt by me. I think we’ve balanced things out between us.”

Then there was nothing but silence. Eggsy’s breathing was erratic, his vision going blurry. His hand still pressed against his mouth, though now it was more to hold back vomit than a surprised noise. He gripped the box tight with his other arm and willed his feet to move. Silently, he breezed past the door, not sparing it another glance.

He heard Harry’s voice once more before he was completely out of earshot.

“It’s better this way. Believe me.”

 

* * *

 

 

By the time Eggsy had safely arrived in his dressing room, he nearly collapsed on the nearby couch. But instead, he gripped the furniture, knuckles turning white, and took several deep breaths. The suit box lay next to him, elegant black and gold wrapping staring innocently at him while he tried to calm himself down.

Eggsy stared at the box. Then, with shaking fingers, he pulled it open.

Predictably, his wedding tux lay inside. It looked immaculate, but then again, he wasn’t surprised. James and Percival never half-assed anything, and even if they ever did, it certainly wouldn’t have happened to this. Wing collar on the dress shirt, peaked lapels on the jacket, and made of a fine, high-quality cotton, perfect for the slight chill in the air. Eggsy gave the tux a small smile, thinking of the time Percival and James had put into it. Then he reached into the box, and pulled the suit out.

He felt numb while changing. The conversation he’d eavesdropped on was replaying on a loop in his head.

Merlin said that Harry loved him. Harry didn’t confirm, but… he certainly didn’t deny it, either. And he sounded as guilt-ridden as Eggsy had always hoped to hear, but now, the young man didn’t feel any sense of gratification from it. He _knew_ that Eggsy had been hurt. He _regretted_ hurting him. He was taking Eggsy’s marriage as a _punishment._

Eggsy paused after tying off his bowtie, looking at himself in the mirror. A well-dressed stranger with tired, wet eyes looked back at him. It was almost funny. In a fancy suit, with his hair just so… add a pair of smart glasses, and he’d almost look like Harry.

…

God, he’d been such a dick.

He only ever wanted to be angry at Harry. He wanted it to be acknowledged that he’d suffered because of his rejection. He wanted to be the _victim._ But he wasn’t blameless in things, either. Now that he knew Harry’s reasons, his own emotions behind the entire affair, Eggsy was hard-pressed to feel anything but guilt. There was just too much guilt- over Harry, over his own feelings, over Charlie…

Eggsy ran a hand down his face. How did things get so fucked up? Just a few months ago, it seemed like marrying Charlie was a great idea; the key to a happy life without a soulmate. But now everything just felt so wrong. He looked at the clock.

In an hour, he was getting married.

Something welled up inside him. His palms grew sweaty, and the room suddenly began to spin.

“Shit,” he said to himself. “Shit, shit, _shit.”_

He bolted for the door, wrenching it open and running for the nearest route outside. Luckily, an exit was just a few doors down. He ran out of the house, tears stinging at the back of his eyes, as the cool autumn wind nipped gently at his face. And Eggsy kept running- he didn’t know where he was going, but anywhere was better than inside, better than-

He’d just reached a small garden off the side of the house shaded by a large tree, when he smacked into a body.

The body turned, intent on apologizing. “Oh! I’m so sorry, are you- Eggsy?!”

Eggsy whimpered, his eyes wide. Harry stood before him.

The older man’s face was a mix of surprise and worry. “What on earth are you doing out here-?”

Eggsy could only blink, helplessly pinned under Harry’s stare. “I…”

The wedding planner’s look softened. “You should be inside, getting ready. The… The ceremony will be starting soon.”

At the mere mention of the wedding, Eggsy shivered. “I can’t!” he blurted, gripping his forearms tightly.

Harry held up his hands, as if placating a wild animal “Mr. Unwin…”

He was a sobbing mess, now. Tears spilling freely down his face. “I can’t do it, Jesus Christ, I-!“ he hiccupped. “ _Fuck!”_

Harry was quiet, and through his blurred vision, Eggsy could barely discern his expression. Then he spoke, his voice calm and even. Too even.

“Mr. Unwin… I know what’s going on… It’s very normal, I assure you. But it’s just nerves. You’ll get over it soon.”

A sob wrenched itself out of his throat. “Oh _fuck you,_ it’s not goddamn nerves!”

“It is.” Harry smiled, in what Eggsy assumed was a reassuring manner. “Really, the number of runaway brides and grooms I’ve witnessed during my career…”

The younger man groaned, cutting him off.

“Oh, for- I overheard you and Merlin!” he accused.

That got Harry to freeze. “… I beg your pardon?”

“He said you loved me. You didn’t say _no.”_

The wedding planner opened his mouth, but no words came forth. He closed it, then opened it again.

“M-Mr. Unwin, I am _not…_ ”

“ _Harry,”_ Eggsy said, pleading. His voice broke upon saying it, and that must have done him in, for he let out a quiet sigh, and hung his head in shame.

“I’m so sorry,” he murmured. “I… I tried to remain as professional as I could manage, but...  I couldn’t help myself.”

“Say it,” Eggsy begged. “I need to hear you say it.”

“You’re getting married-!”

_“Please,_ Harry.”

“…” Harry watched him for a few seconds. Eggsy’s heart dropped a little with each passing moment.

But then.

“… I… I do think I'm in love with you, Eggsy.” Harry looked pained and relieved to finally say it. “Hopelessly and irrevocably.”

The young man let out a shaky breath.

Harry went on.

“I know nothing I can say will make up for the horrible things that have happened because I turned you away. I was thoughtless, and there’s no excusing that. But I still… I was so selfish, Eggsy, I… I almost wished you would call the whole thing off. Because you couldn’t just _show up again_ like you did, with that smile and that charm of yours, and not expect me to-!”

He stopped, but only because Eggsy had grabbed his face and pulled him in. Their lips met in a crash of emotion. It skirted the line between unbridled ferocity and tenderness, and it was almost painful in its haste. It caught Harry off guard, that much was certain, but the wedding planner adjusted quickly. His hands came to grip Eggsy’s arm, and for one awful, dreadful second, the boy feared he was going to be pushed away, only to feel Harry pull him in closer to deepen the kiss. Their marks burned on their chests, pleasantly thrumming on their skin, as if to say, _finally._

They stayed like that for a few minutes, their lips sealed together, until they eventually had to separate. Harry broke the kiss, leaving them both panting, mere inches apart. Eggsy stared up, directly into his eyes, tear-stained green to conflicted brown. Harry’s grip on him was so tight it was bound to leave a few bruises.

Eggsy was the first to break eye contact. He buried his head in the expensive material of Harry’s suit jacket and tie.

“I fuckin’ love you, you jackass,” he said into the soft wool. “Goddamn it.”

He felt Harry let out a short breath, one of disbelief. His arms came up to wrap around Eggsy’s frame, one hand settling on his head, stroking his hair. It was almost a comforting gesture, like they were always meant to do this. But then, as quickly as he started, he stopped. He grabbed Eggsy’s shoulder and held him at arm’s length.

“I am _not_ stealing you from the altar, Eggsy,” he said, stern.

Eggsy nodded. “I know. I’d never… I _have_ to marry Charlie. It’s not fair to him otherwise. Just…” He groaned, smacking Harry in the chest. The wedding planner barely showed that it hurt. “God, why couldn’t you have just stayed out of my life?!”

Harry let go of him, and hesitated before taking a step back.

“I can promise you, Eggsy, from this day on… You will never see me again.”

Eggsy frowned. “How can you be sure?”

“I… I was planning on moving.”

A beat passed. “What?” Eggsy asked softly.

Harry swallowed nervously. “I’ve been told that there’s quite a market for wedding planners in America. I was going to leave my London offices to Roxanne and expand with one of our partners overseas.”

Eggsy shuffled his feet, barely believing a word of it. “… When?”

“About a week from now.”

“You was just gonna leave? Just like that?” He couldn’t help the note of betrayal that slipped into his voice, even though he knew he had no right to feel betrayed.

“It’s for the best, Eggsy,” he replied, his features contorted into a dejected look. “We can’t see each other- it’s too late for us. Best not to let temptation stick around.”

“You…” Eggsy closed his eyes, letting another tear escape. “You’re right.”

Harry reached forwards, brushing his thumb against Eggsy’s cheek, wiping away the tear. He smiled sadly before leaning in, letting his lips barely graze Eggsy’s forehead. It was all breaking Eggsy’s heart. He lingered there for a moment, but when Harry deigned to speak, he spoke softly.

“Go and get married, Mr. Unwin.”

Harry turned and walked away as quickly as he could, but Eggsy was rooted to the spot for just a moment longer. He watched the wedding planner retreat, knowing it was possibly that last time he’d ever see him. Then he raised his arm and- uncaring of the expensive fabric- wiped his face with his sleeve. Eggsy turned on his heel, marching back to the house. He was doing the right thing. He and Harry both.

But, as they both walked away, neither of them noticed the figure behind the tree. Neither noticed the young man in a tux nearly identical to Eggsy’s, leaning against the tree like he’d just been shot in the heart, conflict raging on his face.

Charlie closed his eyes and bit his lip, clenching his fists at his sides.

“Damn,” he breathed, alone in the empty garden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It got cut from the final draft, because I remembered that this is *mainly* from Eggsy's POV, but basically, Charlie also had some nerves about the wedding and went to that spot to help himself calm down- after all, he's been to his uncle's house numerous times, so he has a favorite place to just relax. He also has shit luck.
> 
> And Roxy and Merlin are on the Protect Harry Hart 2k15 squad
> 
> Only one more chapter, guys. I kinda can't believe it.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Decisions are made, and not necessarily by Eggsy or Harry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooooohhhhhkay.  
> Well, here it is. The final chapter. 
> 
> This fic got seriously out of hand. Still, I hope the ending satisfies, because this was one hell of a ride and I'm happy with the way it ended. Even if it's a bit romcom. :)

* * *

 

 

The house was full of guests by the time the Superintendent Registrar, a severe looking woman in a smart suit, showed up. Eggsy had been the one to greet her, as no one even knew where Charlie was by that point _._ He showed her around, and she’d told him that she would need a few minutes to get ready, so Eggsy went to spend his last few minutes before the wedding with his mum and sister.

As a surprise to absolutely no one, Dean had gotten himself piss-drunk at the hotel, and the staff had to call the police on him before he made a scene. So, that meant that Eggsy’s stepfather was going to be absent for the ceremony, and most likely the reception, too. Not that Eggsy was particularly upset. Quite frankly, Michelle didn’t even seem that dismayed. If anything, it was a bit of a relief not having to deal with Dean Baker- even if Michelle had promised he’d be on his ‘best behavior’ , that still wasn’t good enough to assure that the wedding would go smoothly.

At any rate, Eggsy’s already high-strung nerves were slightly soothed by his family. Michelle had been cooing over how ‘posh’ he looked in his suit, while Daisy had grabbed a few flowers from their vases and stuck one in his lapel. The others she’d given to Ryan and Jamal, and the rest had been stuck in her hair, much to Michelle’s exasperation. Eggsy had only laughed at his sister’s antics, once again grateful to have her in his life. He almost felt like himself again.

He heard his mother groan disapprovingly, though, so he looked up with a frown, only to see Charlie opening the door to the room they’d secluded themselves in. He wore the Kingsman suit effortlessly, and it matched Eggsy’s in every way, right down to the navy blue bowtie.

“Oh come on,” admonished Michelle. “You’re not supposed to see each other ‘till the weddin’ starts!”

“That tradition really only applies to brides,” was his answer, stepping further into the room.

Daisy, upon noticing his presence, got off of Eggsy’s lap only to toddle over to Charlie, shoving a daisy flower up at him until he spared her a smile and plucked it from her fingers.

“You was the one who suggested it in the first place,” Eggsy pointed out, standing up. “What’s up? We only had a few minutes left to go.”

“Yeah, well,” Charlie shrugged. “I wanted to talk to you.” He glanced at Michelle and Daisy meaningfully; luckily, Michelle caught on, and reluctantly scooped her daughter up in her arms.

“Alright, alright. You’re bringing a load of bad luck on yourselves, I hope you know that.”

Eggsy resisted the urge to snort as his mother and sister left, leaving both him and Charlie alone in the room. If only she knew how much ‘bad luck’ they’d already experienced. Instead, he took a deep breath and exhaled, plopping back down on the plush couch. Charlie stood above him.

“So, what’s up?” he asked, breaking the uneasy silence that settled over them. “You broke the one tradition you was hellbent on keepin’.”

Charlie’s voice was quiet when he replied. “I just wanted to talk to you. Before everything gets crazy.”

At that, Eggsy scoffed. “Everythin’s _been_ crazy, bruv. But sure.” He patted the spot next to him watching as Charlie sat down. His fiancé’s expression was soft. It wasn’t a look he was used to on Charlie; smug, confident, bordering on arrogant Charlie. “What is it?

He waited for a moment before opening his mouth. His gaze was focused on the fancy wallpaper on the wall in front of them.

“I want you to know, Eggsy… That when we first met, I never saw us ending up… here.”

Eggsy froze, startled by Charlie’s answer. Then, a surprised laugh bubbled out of his throat. “I mean, yeah, obviously. Posh blokes like you don’t go ‘round datin’ rentboys, much less marryin’ ‘em.”

He thought of Harry again, and managed to hide his wince. The wedding planner was probably long gone by now. Eggsy couldn’t afford to spare him another thought- who knows what might happen if he did.

Charlie was silent for a moment before he continued. The daisy Eggsy’s sister had given him was still between his fingers, so he twirled it around gently. He seemed… almost hesitant. But then he opened his mouth again.

“I was looking for a quick fuck. A few hours to just… let go, you know? But you ended up being so much more.”

Eggsy laughed nervously. Seriously, Charlie was talking like he was going off to war or some shit.

“Hey, aren’t you supposed to save this sentimental stuff for the reception?”

“No, I need to say this now. Eggsy,” Charlie let the daisy slip from his fingers as he turned to face Eggsy. The blond’s fingers twitched anxiously, though he couldn’t pinpoint why. “You got me out of a bad place. I was so depressed, about my family, and about…” he stuttered, face twisting painfully, “about Digby… I don’t know what my life would be like now if you hadn’t come along. And I wanted to thank you for that.” With every word, Charlie’s voice grew softer and softer, like he was confessing a great secret he’d never told anyone. And that might as well have been the case; Eggsy had never heard the man sound so vulnerable. It was discomforting.

“Charlie…” he began cautiously. “You helped me too, y’know?” He reached over to grasp his hand. “It wasn’t just a one way street.”

Charlie gave him a ghost of a smile. “I’m so glad I met you, Eggsy. I didn’t know if I could ever pay you back for what you did.”

“That’s what we’re doin’ now, innit?” Eggsy asked, nodding his head to their surroundings. This house, the reason they were there… Wasn’t this already Charlie way of thanking him?

The brunet watched him carefully for a few moments, his gaze far too analytical for Eggsy’s liking, then sighed.

“Eggsy… I know what happ-!”

He was cut off by a knock at the door. Both men startled and turned towards the direction of the sound.

“Oi, mates!” Jamal’s voice, though muffled, rang clear through the wood. “Everythin’ ready! Quit snoggin’ and get out here already!”

Ryan’s voice came in seconds later. “Or else we’s havin’ the weddin’ without ya!”

Despite himself, Eggsy rolled his eyes. “Be right out, ya tossers!” he yelled back.

They waited for the sound of their footsteps to fade until all was quiet again. Then, he turned back to Charlie, shrugging apologetically. “Guess it’s time, then.”

Charlie was frowning. “I still need to talk to you.”

“It can wait, can’t it?” he replied, already feeling drained. “We should really get goin’. Can’t put it off now, right?”

His fiancé- soon to be husband, his brain _and_ mark reminded him forcefully- was quiet for a few seconds before he let out a resigned sigh. “Yeah. Alright.”

He stood, offering a hand up to Eggsy, who took it, letting Charlie pull him off the couch. Charlie released his hand quickly, and Eggsy shifted on his feet, unwilling to move. Part of him felt uneasy, wondering what Charlie was going to say. The other part of him acknowledged the heavy weight that had settled in his stomach ever since he last spoke with Harry; it was still there, uncomfortable and jarring. He breathed in deeply and shut his eyes, willing out any more thought and mentions of Harr- of _Mr. Hart._ That whole thing was over. The universe did its best, but evidently, Harry and Eggsy were a little too similar- they were both stubborn little shits, determined to do the right thing.

Eggsy had to move on.

Holding his head high, he strode out of the room, expecting Charlie to follow soon after. But he was unaware of how still Charlie was, and even further unmindful of the calculating (bordering on sympathetic) stare that followed him out.

 

* * *

 

By all accounts, it was beautiful, in a simplistic sort of way. Blue vases full of daisies and roses lined the aisle, people seated on either side. The Registrar and Charlie stood at the front, as a teary-eyed Michelle walked Eggsy down along the aisle. Daisy skipped in front of them, haphazardly tossing petals around. Ryan was snapping pictures every few minutes, overexcited like a puppy, while Jamal grinned at Eggsy, flashing him a thumbs up. James and Percival were also towards the front, their hands clasped together as they watched Eggsy with proud smiles.

Strangely, it didn’t feel like everyone had told him. He wasn’t overwhelmed with joy, or close to tears. It felt more like he was in the final stretch of a race he’d been running for months. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, no, not when Charlie was smiling softly at him the way that he was, and not when Michelle was so clearly fighting back her tears. They reached the front, and Michelle let out a shaky breath as she handed Eggsy to Charlie, quickly grabbing Daisy and leading her back to their seats in the front row. As soon as she made it, she dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.

Out of the corner of his eye, Eggsy could see Roxy and Merlin from their seats in the back. The former looked like she’d rather be anywhere else, while the latter looked exhausted. As he’d expected, Harry was nowhere in sight.

His mark ached dully, as though giving one last attempt at a protest. Eggsy ignored it, returning his attention to Charlie, and the Registrar, who was addressing the entire room.

“Good afternoon, everyone,” she spoke pleasantly, even taking a moment to smile at the guests before continuing. “We are gathered here today to witness the union of Charles Edward Hesketh and Gary Liam Unwin. In each other’s company, they have found happiness, love, and fulfilment…”

Eggsy slowly stopped paying attention to what she was saying. His skin itched, and it was only Charlie’s hand clasped around his own that stopped his fingers from twitching. He glanced up at his fiancé, only to see him wear the same reassuring smile he’d had when Eggsy was walking down the aisle. Eggsy smiled back.

Spending the rest of his life with Charlie wouldn’t be so bad. He’d said it before, and he’d say it again; the man was his best friend. Maybe he didn’t love him the way he was supposed to, the way he’d found himself loving Harry, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be happy. That’s what he kept telling himself. He let out a quiet exhale, calming himself down, just as the Registrar spoke the next line.

“Now, if anyone has just cause as to why these two may _not_ be wed, let them speak now, or forever hold their peace.”

The customary silence that followed the phrase ensued. Eggsy glanced out over the crowd again. His mother was freely, albeit quietly, crying, and Daisy was swinging her feet back and forth over her chair, already bored. Ryan had his camera poised just so, to capture the moment Eggsy and Charlie would both say “I do”, Jamal looking on a bit misty-eyed. James, unsurprisingly, was close to tears himself, and Percival was just about to hand him his pocket square. Eggsy didn’t bother looking at Roxy and Merlin, already aware of their attitudes.

His gaze drifted back to Charlie, who was no longer smiling. The brunet breathed in deeply.

The Registrar nodded her head. “Well then. Let us-!”

“Wait.”

She was cut off, blinking in surprise, as the guests began to murmur in confusion. Eggsy’s mouth parted open in shock. For the person who’d spoken up was right in front of him.

“Charlie…?” he whispered. He felt Charlie’s fingers run over the back of his hand, as the man himself leaned in and spoke, at a volume that only Eggsy could hear.

“You’re too good for me, Eggsy,” he said. “I don’t think we should get married.”

Eggsy’s eyes widened, to an almost comical degree. “What? But-!”

He was interrupted by a fervent Charlie. “I’m not a charity case,” he said harshly, still hushed. “I don’t want to force you to be with me out some sense of obligation. You don’t owe me anything anymore. And…” Despite his brave face, tears gathered behind his blue eyes, but a bright smile was there, too.

“We _both_ know who you should really be with.”

Eggsy kept staring, searching Charlie’s face for any sign of hesitation, of regret. He found none, to his own surprising relief.

“You’re my best friend, Eggsy. I want you to be happy.” Charlie nodded towards the front of the house. The front door was open, looking for all the world like a gate to heaven. “Go on.”

And that was when Eggsy let out a laugh, overwhelmed. Then he looked down, at their still-entwined hands, and gently removed himself. Charlie didn’t resist. He slid off his engagement ring, ignoring the growing volume of their guests, and pressed the jewelry into Charlie’s palm. He leaned in further, pressing a chaste kiss to the taller man’s cheek. When he pulled back, he whispered, his voice full of emotion.

“ _Thank you.”_

Charlie’s smile widened just a fraction. “ _Go.”_

With a bright grin, Eggsy suddenly bolted, bounding down the aisle as he heard shocked gasps and exclamations all around him. He ran for the door, already feeling the chilled air on his skin. Behind him, Charlie watched him go, the smile never once leaving his face.

Even when everyone clamored around him, demanding an explanation.

 

* * *

 

Once Eggsy was outside, he made it a good half a mile away from the house, before he realized how ridiculous his endeavor was.  His pace slowed, disheartened, as the autumn wind blew his hair further out of order.

He’d been headed for the hotel, but what if Harry wasn’t even there anymore? He had to have left by now. And even if he hadn’t, there was no way Eggsy could get there in time. What if Eggsy had already missed his chance? What if-

Just as he stopped completely, his mind frozen with all the negative possibilities, a blue car screeched to a halt beside him, causing the young man to jump. He stared at the window of the driver’s seat, which lowered, revealing Merlin’s less-than-impressed face. He could spot Roxy in the passenger’s seat, though she looked quite ecstatic.

“Get in,” Merlin ordered. When Eggsy stayed in place, still staring in shock, the Scotsman groaned. “For fuck’s sake, lad, we don’t have time for this!”

Roxy piped up, her tone a bit more gentle than her husband’s, but still firm. “Harry is on his way to the airport. Come on, we have to catch up!”

Upon hearing Harry’s name, Eggsy snapped out of his stupor, and reached for the back door of the car, all but hauling himself inside. He’d barely closed the door before Merlin’s foot slammed down on the gas pedal, making Eggsy fall back against the seat with a soft grunt.

The idyllic countryside was a blur in the windows, and it occurred to Eggsy that Merlin was probably breaking the speed limit by a lot. However, that fact only endeared the bald man to Eggsy.

“That was quite a show,” he heard Roxy say. He looked at her, and found that she was smiling at him. “Definitely a first for Hart & Soul.”

“I, uh…” Eggsy stammered. “Sorry?”

“Don’t be,” she laughed. “From what I saw, Charlie was willing to let you go. And you…” Her look softened. “You’re choosing Harry, aren’t you?”

Eggsy let out a small breath, a tiny smile gracing his features. “… Yeah. Yeah, I am.”

“You’re one dramatic son of a bitch,” Merlin scowled, keeping his eyes on the road. But unless Eggsy’s ears were deceiving him, he detected a hint of… fondness? “No wonder you and Harry are soulmates.”

Eggsy grinned at him, despite the fact that Merlin couldn’t see it, as the hotel sped past them. A few short minutes later, Roxy sat up in her seat, pointing to a black car just in front of them.

“There! That’s Harry’s car!”

Eggsy moved to sit up and look, or at least he would have, had Merlin not sped up again, forcing them all back against their seats. The bald man’s eyes were narrowed in grim determination, as they advanced on Harry’s car. Then he sharply turned the steering wheel, swerving around the black vehicle, until they came to stop in front of it. The wheels of Harry’s car screeched against the road in protest as they braked.

“Holy _shit,_ Merlin!” Eggsy exclaimed, just as the door to Harry’s car swung open, and the irate wedding planner stepped out.

“Merlin!” he shouted, livid. He clearly recognized the car. “What the fuck is wrong with you?!”

Roxy turned back to Eggsy and nodded encouragingly, but Eggsy was already scrambling to open his own door. Once he did, he stumbled out, and Harry’s ranting died immediately, his look of anger replaced with pure disbelief.

“E-Eggsy?”

Eggsy quickly ran towards Harry, fully aware of the ridiculous sight he presented; his pristine suit rumpled, hair in disarray, cheeks red from the cold and exertion. And then there was Harry, who looked as immaculate as ever.  Eggsy thought, absently, that they barely even looked like soulmates.

He stopped just a few feet in front of Harry, meeting the older man’s eyes with a determined stare of his own.

“You-… You’re supposed to be getting married!” Harry blurted, his eyes darting from Eggsy to the blue car, where Merlin and Roxy still sat.

When Eggsy spoke, practically breathless, he brought Harry’s eyes back on him. “Charlie called it off.”

“What?”

“Said he didn't need my charity,” he explained, braving a step closer. “Said we both knew who I wanted to be with.”

If possible, Harry’s jaw dropped further. “Eggsy, I still…”

“Save it, Harry,” Eggsy hissed. “No amount of ‘I’m not worthy’ bullshit is gonna change my mind.” He paused, but only to put his hand over is heart, where his mark was thrumming warmly beneath his clothes. “Because _this_ keeps tellin’ me we’re supposed to be together. And for once in my goddamn life, I’m gonna get my head out of my arse and listen to the universe.”

Harry still looked unsure. “But… Everything that’s happened, Eggsy, we can’t just ignore that!”

“I know.” Eggsy took another step. “But why can’t we work through it? Together.”

“Because-!” Harry started, indignant. Eggsy didn’t allow him to continue, slipping his hand into Harry’s, which effectively silenced the man.

“Look, Harry,” Eggsy murmured, unable to help the desperate tinge that slipped into his voice. “If you don’t want to… to do this, I understand. But I-… I love you,” his voice cracked, and Harry’s look softened almost imperceptibly. “I love you and I want to _try_ and make us work.”

He felt Harry’s fingers twitch under his hand. He could understand the older man’s hesitation. There was already so much history between them, and they weren’t even romantically involved. Maybe Harry would decide that Eggsy wasn’t worth the trouble he’d already caused. Or maybe Harry was still hating himself over what had happened. Eggsy’s grip tightened, and his resolve steeled.

He was still going to _try,_ damn it.

“Eggsy, I…” Harry faltered, his shoulders sagging. His expression was unreadable; it could go either way. Eggsy’s heart pounded in his chest, as the possibility of yet another rejection began to gnaw at his insides.

And then, Roxy’s shrill scream cut through the air.

“ _Harry!_ Let your sorry arse be happy and just kiss him already!”

Both men turned their heads to see Roxy leaning out of her window, her hands cupped around her mouth as a makeshift megaphone. Merlin was smothering a laugh beside her.

Eggsy rolled his eyes and turned back to Harry, who was scowling at the married pair. He squeezed Harry’s hand, summoning back his attention. “Well?” he asked, voice small.

Harry was quiet for a few seconds, before he sighed. He gave Eggsy’s arm a tug, pulling the young man in closer, until he was flush against Harry’s chest. Eggsy let out a soft yelp of surprise, even as his body melted against Harry’s. A pair of strong arms wrapped around his shoulders, and Eggsy couldn’t help but grasp his lapels, and bury his face in the expensive material of Harry’s suit. He breathed in the mixed scent of fancy cologne and tea, which was so undeniably Harry, he wondered how he’d survived so long without knowing it.

“Unbelievable,” he felt Harry’s lips murmur against his hair. “You impossible thing.”

“You love it,” Eggsy shot back, his words muffled by Harry’s clothes.

“I do,” came Harry’s reply, and he felt the smile spread across his lips. Eggsy tilted his head up and smiled shyly.

There was still quite a bit to be done. Eggsy had an entire house full of wedding guests to explain things to- because it just wasn’t fair to leave Charlie at their mercy- and Harry would have to cancel his hastily-made travel plans. Then they had to work through four, almost five now, years of absence, and learn all they could about each other that they’d missed. That could all be dealt with later.

But first, Eggsy wanted a kiss. And luckily, Harry was more than happy to oblige.

Their lips met almost timidly. Then, emboldened by the leftover adrenaline, Eggsy pushed himself up on his toes, sealing their lips together more firmly; Harry laughed against his mouth, holding Eggsy tighter, like he never wanted to let him go again.

And Eggsy didn’t intend to let him.

 

* * *

 

**_Two years later…_ **

Already drenched with rain during the short walk from his car to the front of his house, Harry turned the key and pushed open the door, gladly welcoming the rush of warm air that enveloped him. He closed the door, and removed his coat to hang it up on the coatrack, just as he heard small footsteps pad against the floor. Turning, his gaze was already directed downwards, where a tiny, panting pug stood in front of him, skittering around excitedly on all fours. Harry smiled widely at the pup, bending down to scoop it into his arms; the pug, whose shiny collar named him ‘J.B.’, yipped happily in approval. Harry didn’t even mind the tiny dog hairs that were sure to cover his jacket.

J.B. held securely in his arms, he wandered along to the living room, where he could hear the television blaring. He could recognize the program from the dialogue being spoken.

_“How am I ever going to get along in Paris without someone like you?”_ came Humphrey Bogart’s voice.   
“ _Who'll be there to help me with my French, to turn down the brim of my hat?”_

Miss Audrey Hepburn’s voice responded. _“Suppose you meet someone on the boat the very first day out? A perfect stranger.”_

Harry smiled to himself, entering the living room with quiet steps. He could see the television, where a black-and-white film, _Sabrina,_ played.

_“I have a better suppose, Sabrina,”_ Bogart went on. _“Suppose I were ten years younger. Suppose you weren't in love with David. Suppose I asked you to... I suppose I'm just talking nonsense.”_

Hepburn was quiet. _“I suppose so.”_

After a moment, Bogart spoke up again: _“Suppose you sing that song again. Slowly.”_

And then Hepburn was singing “La Vie en Rose” in French, the song drifting out and slowly filling the room. Harry walked closer, reaching the couch, and saw Eggsy sprawled out along it, looking as at home and comfortable as Harry himself would have been, bad posture notwithstanding.

J.B. wiggled in his arms, and let out a surprisingly loud bark. That got Eggsy’s attention; the young man stretched out and turned, looking up at Harry with a small grin. His shirt had shifted with the movement, allowing Harry a brief glimpse at the red mark on the younger man’s chest.

“Hi,” said Eggsy.

Harry’s own smile grew. “Hello.”

Eggsy sat up, tilting his head just so, and Harry leaned down to give him a peck on the lips. J.B. leapt out of his arms and onto Eggsy’s lap; the young man gave a startled laugh, turning his attention to the dog, scratching him soundly behind the ears. Harry walked around the couch and sat beside Eggsy once he scooted aside to give him room. Then the older man wrapped an arm around his soulmate’s shoulders.

“Good day?” Eggsy asked, snuggling close.

“The usual,” Harry replied. In truth, it had been a hectic day, with at least three different brides all wanting the same venue- _on the same day-_ and giving Harry a headache. But he felt immeasurably better with Eggsy in his arms, so he didn’t deem it worthy of a mention.

“Oh.” The younger man straightened, smiling as he looked Harry in the eyes. He looked excited. “Guess who I talked to today?”

“Hm?”

“A certain ex-fiancé of mine. _And_ his soulmate.”

“Charlie and Digby?” Harry blinked, stunned. “They’ve finally-?”

“Yeah,” he beamed. “Digby finally wised up and left his family. Turns out, they didn’t think he’d actually do it, so they relented and are lettin’ ‘em be together.”

“That’s wonderful,” said Harry, and he meant it. After all, if it weren’t for Charlie, Eggsy wouldn’t be where he was now; with Harry. That young man deserved to be happy, too. He only hoped that Digby didn’t mess things up again.

“Charlie called me up to tell me. Even let me talk to the tosser.”

“And what did you say?” the wedding planner asked, his lips already curling in anticipation.

“I told him to watch his back; if he fucked Charlie over again, then he was answerable to _me.”_

Harry laughed at that, the action causing Eggsy to bounce lightly against his chest. Eggsy grinned.

“Then I told Charlie to make him work for it. Y’know, make him run through some hoops.”

“Hm, I don’t doubt that.”

Things certainly had gone a similar way once they started officially dating. Eggsy’s mother was definitely an obstacle; she was fiercely protective of her son, even against his soulmate, whom she’d perceived as a heartbreaker. Daisy, at least, he’d already won over, so with Eggsy’s help, Michelle Unwin eventually calmed down and gave Harry a fair chance. James and Percival were equally protective, though a bit more willing to relent, especially when Roxy stepped in to vouch for her boss.

If anything, Harry was the one making it the hardest for himself; he was very cautious around Eggsy, treating him delicately, as though he would bolt at any moment. Yet he also spoiled him, taking him to the finest restaurant and date spots he could find.

Eggsy loved it, but he’d also wanted a more intimate setting for them; Harry was moving at a snail’s pace, even when Eggsy practically spelled it out for him that he wanted more.

So, after about eight months, he’d canceled the reservations Harry had made at some fancy Italian place, grabbed the older man by his tie, and all but dragged him into the bedroom. A tired but happy Harry asked him to move in the morning after. Naturally, Eggsy said yes.

Things weren’t perfect, obviously; they’d actually gotten J.B. after an intense argument. Long story short, Eggsy found the abandoned pup shivering outside in the rain, and brought him home without so much as consulting Harry about it. It was their first major fight, but it ended relatively well; them snuggling on their bed, with a warm and dry puppy in between their bodies. It boded well for their future.

Harry returned his attention to his soulmate, who was once again watching the film. He was the picture of bliss; relaxed, contented, and happy. Not for the first time, Harry felt a rush of affection for the young man gathered up beside him. Eggsy was everything he felt he didn’t deserve and more; he was a gorgeous creature who, despite everything, had chosen Harry. And Harry had chosen him in turn.

In the back of his mind, he thought of the small velvet box laying hidden in his desk’s drawer, and of the thin white-gold ring that lay inside it. He thought of the months he spent agonizing over whether he should purchase it, even though he and Eggsy had already spoken about marriage several times in the past year alone, and the young man seemed more than open to the idea. He thought of all the different ways he could propose to his utterly wonderful soulmate, and he thought of their perfect wedding- planned by his company, of course.

But when Eggsy moved, shifting against Harry and snuggling closer, Harry could only think of one singular thing. He took a gentle hold of Eggsy’s chin with his other hand and tilted his face up. Eggsy made a curious face, though his eyes were expectant. Harry indulged in one more smile before he brought their lips together in a soft kiss.

“I love you,” he whispered reverently, once they’d parted.

Eggsy, his beautiful, wonderful Eggsy, kissed him again.

“I know. I love you too, Harry.”

From below them, J.B. had fallen asleep on the floor, his snores drifting up to their ears. _Sabrina_ continued to play, and Harry could hear the soft rain outside pattering against the windows. All those things, combined with the gentle sounds of Eggsy’s breathing, made Harry sigh happily.

This was home, and to Harry, it was perfect.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it. Wow. This was a goddamn emotional rollercoaster, lol.
> 
> I'd just like to say thank you to everyone who commented, bookmarked, gave a kudos, fuck, even just skimmed a few chapters. The comments in particular were a delight to read, since I got some reactions I hadn't anticipated. Like, I was NOT prepared for all the Charlie love/Harry hate. Like seriously, a LOT of people ganged up on Harry.  
> I half-considered writing another version of the story from his point of view, but A) I have enough unfinished story drafts already, and B) fuck it. He got his shit together in the end. Everyone's happy.
> 
> Thank you all again!


End file.
